Passion
by David Shigure
Summary: Ash, Misty and Brock all live in Cerulean City and go to Verbena Academy, a high school for education on Pokémon! Set five years after the anime arcs, includes characters like May and Dawn. This is Ash and Misty's story. An AAMRN...
1. Hidden Love

Welcome to my second fan fiction story. It's based of the world of Pokémon, but there are things I have to point out.

Firstly, I don't own Pokémon or any of the characters.

Secondly, about the story: So far i've only seen the Indigo League arc of the anime, and only a few episodes each of all the other arcs, so i'm going to stick with what I know and it might differ from what exists on the anime e.g. Ash's pokemon lineup, i've used Charizard, Ivysaur, Wartortle, and Pidgeot and obviously Pikachu, I know that he does leave a few pokemon at Oak's lab and releases a few, catches new ones bla bla, but I've chosen this line up for this story. (and yes, only five, he'll capture a sixth later.)

Obviously, to some of you, I don't actually need to tell you this, this is only to stop any confusion, if any.

Thirdly: This story is going to be an AAMRN, which will be obvious from chapter 1

Fourth: It's going to include characters I've either seen from the few episodes I have watched from other story arcs like Dawn and May.

Fifth: (whew) ash and co. are currently fifteen, they've been through all of the anime and game adventures and are at current, taking a break. But maybe throughout this fic, they'll journey again...

And after all of that, I leave you with Chapter 1: Hidden Love!

* * *

"Passion"

Chapter 1: Hidden Love

It was 12:35am. Ash Ketchum was wide awake, staring at the red, illuminated digits of his alarm, an overwhelming sense of dread ensnaring his heart. He couldn't get to sleep, and time was ticking away. In seven hours, he'd have to get up for school.

He turned over, trying to find a cool spot on his pillow. But his pillow was too hot and he was sweating. Eventually, he gave up the fight for sleep and got out of his blue bed, with the duvet covered in all sorts of different Poké balls. He stood up straight and stretched his aching muscles , yawning. He walked over towards the heavy, blue curtains and drew them across.

Moonlight spilled from the window, illuminating an athletic body, a muscular chest and his naturally messy, jet-black hair. Ash opened the window and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing against his overheated body. He looked to his left and found his mirror. His eyes, a pair of dark black eyes, stared back at him in a daze, his messy hair falling across them.

He looked around his room whilst he waited for the room to cool down. Five Poké balls lay on his bedside cabinet. Inside were four of his best friends, Charizard, Ivysaur, Wartortle, and Pidgeot. All Pokémon he had loved, cherished and trained ever since he was ten years old, five years ago. But his best friend in the world was currently sleeping on the desk, on its special blue cushion. Pikachu, his very first Pokémon, was in a deep sleep, snoring quietly in blissful slumber. Ash smiled at his little electric mouse, wishing he could sleep just as easily. Next to the sleeping Pokémon was a photo.

Three people were in the picture. A tall, muscular, slightly tanned guy with hair in spikes and eyes that almost constantly squinted. It was Brock, one of Ash's most trusted friends and the person Ash always turned to for advice. Then there was Ash in the middle with a big grin on his face, his right hand stuck out in the sign for victory. His left hand was wrapped around a red-headed girl's shoulder. Her hair was wrapped in a sidewards ponytail, her eyes were as blue as the ocean and she had a soft face, which was crimson red, she had been blushing furiously for some reason. Her body was slim and her legs slender but she had curvy hips and even better curves elsewhere...

This girl was Misty, another of Ash's best friends. She was fifteen and went to the same school as Ash and Brock and they were in the same class. Ash thought she was cute and he could talk to her about practically anything, and although Ash would never admit it to her, he had feelings for her.

Ash's alarm clock beeped once. He turned around to look at it. 1.00am, the clock displayed. Ash sighed, he was never going to get up in the morning. The room felt a lot cooler than before so Ash decided to snuggle back into his bed. A little while later, Ash was snoring...

...

_7.42am, Monday morning..._

Bright sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains. The ray of light came to rest on the eyelids of a girl with red hair. She was snoring quietly, her chest rising up and down slowly, peacefully. Her left arm was hanging off the bed, her right lay across her chest. The duvet was in a big mess, with her left leg poking out off the bed, similar to her arm.

Her eyelids fluttered, the ray of light was annoying her. She turned over, until her head was buried in her pillow. The snoring continued. "A...Ash..." The girl sighed. Suddenly, a loud noise erupted in the room, repeating itself annoyingly. The girl woke with a start and fell out of bed. It was a comical sight, the girl's legs were still under the duvet on the bed, whilst the torso was lying upside down, her head resting on the wood panelled floor. "Owww!!" She cried. "That hurt!!"

She picked herself up off the floor, turned off the loud beeping and walked towards the curtains, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She drew them across, allowing sunlight to flood the room. She looked outside, the sky was a bright ocean-blue, a flock of birds were heading in some direction and the town was as bustling as ever. "It's a nice day." She sighed.

The girl turned around to look at her room, now glowing from the light of the morning sun. A normal girl's room was immaculate, with everything neat and tidy. This room was a polar opposite. Clothes were strewn everywhere, magazines half-open lay on the floor and her bed covers looked as though she had wrestled a bear during the night. The girl sighed again.

_Why can't I be more tidy? If Ash ever came in here..._

She groaned. Her thoughts almost always wandered to the handsome boy. She couldn't help it, her feelings were overflowing and the metaphorical floodgates in her heart were just about ready to burst.

But she never had the guts to tell him, every time she came close to telling him, he would smile his amazing smile, her heart already battering her ribcage would cause her to stutter and then she would always let her nerves take her over.

Suddenly, somebody knocked on the door. "Misty!! Your gonna be late!! Ash and Brock are at the door already!!" A young woman's voice cried at the door.

"Just a minute!!" Misty shouted back. She quickly grabbed her denim short-shorts and yellow tank top and thrust them on. "Ready!" Misty yelled. The young woman walked in, she had golden-blond hair and a soft, smiling face. "Misty, your hair..." the woman stifled a laugh. "And you room...my,my..."

Misty felt the blood rush to her cheeks. "Sorry, Daisy, I'll tidy it after I get back from school." Daisy smiled "Okay, better not keep Ash and Brock waiting any longer."

...

"What's taking Misty so long I wonder?" The voice belonged to a teenage boy, with brown, spiky hair and constantly squinting eyes. "I don' know, she's a girl, they always take forever" Ash yawned. "Excuse me, Ash?" Misty had appeared at her living room door. Ash jumped up, a scared look on his face. "I...uhh...its..."

"You ready, Misty?" Brock asked. "Yeah, let's go" she replied, still giving Ash an evil glare. They walked out of Misty's house and walked to school.

Misty was smiling, the sun was hot and the sky was a vivid blue. She couldn't even remember the last time it was such a nice day. Ash and Brock were chatting next to her, Brock was bright red and Ash looked like he was reassuring him. "She won't, i'm telling you, promise me by the end of the day you will have gone up to her and at least asked her out." Ash challenged. "But Ash, she always hangs out in a group, like all girls do!" Brock exclaimed. "Not All girls hang out in a group" Misty pouted. "Just look at me, I constantly hang out with you guys all the time"  
"Yeah, but Misty, you've been through a lot with us, and your easy to talk to" Brock said. "Why thank you, that's such a sweet thing to say" Misty smiled. "Yeah, but when you get angry, I see life flashing before my eyes" Ash laughed. "Ash, you jerk!!" Misty shouted at him.

The trio walked up to the school gates, Ash was rubbing his head, it throbbed where Misty had whacked him. "Owww..." He muttered as he walked past the gates.  
Verbena Academy, a school dedicated to Pokémon. Lessons were all about Pokémon, ranging from types, to evolutions and even technology, like how a Poké ball works. It was located in the heart of Cerulean City, where Ash, Misty and Brock all lived. It was literally a stones throw away from the Cerulean City gym.

Ash had been going there ever since he had come back from his journey as a Pokémon trainer, along with Brock and Misty.

Ash's mother had moved away from Pallet Town, after an incident had left the town decimated. She now worked as a day care lady in the city. Brock had moved from Pewter City to live with his friends and lived in an apartment right next to Ash. The Pewter City gym was still in the "very capable" hands of his father, according to Brock.  
Misty lived in a house next door to the Cerulean City gym, were she was the gym leader, along with her sisters, who had invited her to become part of the Sensational Sisters. Ash and Brock had seen the Sensational Sisters perform and were constantly amazed at how beautiful Misty looked each time, something Ash never failed to comment on after the show.

"_Now Misty, why can't you look like that all the time?" Ash laughed._

"_It's too much effort and besides, I like the way I am" Misty defended._

Ash's was knocked back to reality by Misty. "Did I hit you too hard? What are you staring at me for?" Misty was in a grumpy mood, Ash could tell.  
"Nothing, just thinking"  
"Thinking? Since when?" Misty snickered. "Haha, Funny that" Ash smiled sarcastically. "Come on guys, your both fifteen years old and I still have to tell you guys to stop arguing? Like I have been doing for five years? Let's just get to class..." Brock said.

First period was PokéHistory. Misty loved this subject, as it talked about legends and myths of people and Pokémon. Surprisingly, Ash and Brock liked this subject too, it was interesting enough, and they had seen enough legends come to pass...  
Today's lesson, was the legend of the Beast of the Sea.

_Disturb not the harmony of Fire, Ice or  
Lightning, lest these titans wreak  
destruction upon the world in which they  
clash. Though the Water's Great Guardian  
shall arise to quell the fighting, alone its  
song will fail. Thus the earth shall turn to  
ash._

_Oh Chosen One, into thine hands, bring  
together all three. Their treasures  
combined tame the Beast of the Sea._

The teacher, Miss. Cassidy was constantly looking at Ash and Misty as she read the legend, as were other students. They all remembered when at one time, the legend was in motion, and Ash was the so called Chosen One. He, along with the legendary Lugia, the Beast of the Sea, quelled the anger of "Fire, Ice and Lightning" or otherwise known as Moltres, Articuno and Zapdos. Misty had been there too, as was Pikachu but Brock hadn't been there for that trip.

Ash felt happy, another lesson had just passed, he felt sure he'd just aced it. "Did you see the way the whole class was looking at us?" Misty's face was still bright red. "Hehe, yeah it was weird. What class do we have next?" Ash asked, a little red himself. "Poké Anthology" Brock answered. Misty and Ash both sighed, their least favourite subject. "Lead the way, Chosen One" Misty said with a smile.

* * *

I had fun writing this, everyone who's seen Pokémon The movie 2000 will remember that legend (or read the book). As a little plot spoiler, other elements from the movie will feature later in the story.

Just to clear it up in a summary, Ash, Misty and Brock all live in Cerulean City, and go to Verbena academy, a school for Pokémon education. They're all fifteeen years old and have been going to the school ever since they came back from their adventures five years ago.

Hopefully you enjoyed it, and I'll try to update quickly with more chapters, i've got plenty of fun ideas for this story :D

Review me please!! Oh and while your at it, you can read my other story, "Verbena" a Tenchi Muyo! fan fic, but its got zero reviews at the moment and I think people haven't even noticed it:(

anyway, see ya

David Shigure .x


	2. To Protect the World from Devastation

I gotta tell you guys, this chapter's been incredibly hard to write. Plus it's the **longest** chapter I've ever written, totalling at an odd 6000 to 7000 words. I guess you can consider it a reward for your patience, it's been a while coming.

Here's a quick heads up before I let you straight in. This chapter has **THE** longest flashback ever written, in the history of fan fiction. It was at least 9 pages long in OpenOffice. And I like writing my flashback's in _italics _so be prepared for it.

Enjoy:)

* * *

"Passion"

Chapter 2: To Protect the World from Devastation

"Jessie, is this really a good idea?" The voice belonged to a tall, teenage boy with green eyes and blue hair. "I'm not sure James, but what else can be do?" The girl called Jessie replied forlornly. Jessie had long red hair and cerulean-blue eyes, she looked roughly the same age as James and was the same height. "_Purr_, what's wrong with you two?" A slim, white Persian walked elegantly beside the pair. "You guys are all nervous, trembling all over, this is the start of our new life, let's embrace it!" The Persian sounded so confident that it made the teenagers smile. "Your right Meowth, we've come this far, lets go" Jessie said, a fierce look of determination across her face.

"Hey guys, before we go, can I ask you two something?" The Persian asked desperately. "Why do you two keep calling me Meowth, when it's been, hmm, I don't know, _five years_, since I evolved?"

Jessie and James exchanged confused looks. "Well, I'm not too sure" James began. "But I think that because we called you Meowth for ages, we got used to it, and if we started calling you 'Persian', it would be...strange."

"I think what James is trying to say, is that we kinda prefer 'Meowth' to 'Persian'. You may have evolved, but you've still got the same old 'Meowth' personality, and to be honest, I like it that way" Jessie smiled. The Persian looked content. "Yeah, you guys are right, I still feel like my old self, just...older. I must of grown-up somewhere."

"I think we've all grown-up a little, these past few months" James said sadly. The trio murmured sadly.

_A lot has happened. I don't think...we'll ever be the same as we were before..._

Jessie had a sad expression on her face. Meowth detected something was bothering her and rubbed his head against her thigh. Jessie's face lightened as she felt comforted by the feline. "Thank you, Meowth"

Suddenly, a bell rang. "Ahh!!, We're gonna be late!!" Meowth yelped. The trio sprinted until they got past a slowly closing metal-barred gate. "Phew, we made it" James panted. "You need to workout some more" Jessie commented. "I guess, I just haven't been in shape since we left..." James suddenly cut short his sentence, a look of sadness crossed his face. Then it was gone, replaced by a a big, cheesy grin. "Hehe, well...uhh...We better get to the head's office, don't want to be late for our first day!"

The trio walked towards the main entrance of a large building. Above the big, oak-panelled doors were the words "Verbena Academy".

...

"Pika, Pika! Pi, Pikachu..." Ash's small electric mouse was complaining. "I know, I know...I didn't have fun either." Ash's hair was smoking and Pikachu looked as though it had just fought a battle.

"Ash, I think your getting out of practice, Melody knows how to handle her Pokémon well, her Vulpix was well trained." Brock was commenting on Ash's battle performance in the previous lesson.

"But then again, Pikachu did make a great comeback and overwhelmed it with Agility before finishing it off with a Thunderbolt." Misty said. "Chu..." Pikachu looked embarrassed.

The trio walked back to their form room. The class was noisy, everybody was talking. Ash, Misty and Brock picked there way to their seats at the very back. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys, I'm having another performance" Misty suddenly piped up. "It's tomorrow at six-thirty after school, you guys wanna come?"

"Of course, yeah we'll come!" Ash loved Misty's performances, he could never take his eyes of her, she always looked stunning in the water and had a natural talent in synchronised swimming. Sometimes, Ash and Brock helped with props and music, but Brock almost always became distracted by the beautiful girls, leaving Ash to do all the hard work.

Suddenly, the door to the class opened and their form room teacher, Miss Benibara, came in. "Okay class, today we're going to be joined by two new students. I hope you'll take good care of them. You can come in" She directed the last words to the door.

The door opened slowly and in walked in a slender, pure white Persian, followed by a tall, teenage boy with almost shoulder length blue hair, who was also followed by a tall, teenage girl with long red hair. They had nervous, awkward expressions all over their faces.

"Class, I'd like you to meet Jessie and James. I hope you make them feel welcome here in Verbena Academy." Miss Benibara pointed out seats for the two teenagers and their furry companion.

Ash, Misty and Brock were in a state of shock.

_Team Rocket!? What are they doing here?_

They hadn't actually seen Team Rocket for a long time. But those faces were hard to forget. Ash, Misty and Brock looked at each other. _"Team Rocket!?" _They mouthed in a panic.

As soon as the bell rang, Ash walked straight over to them, followed by a very confused Misty and Brock. "Pikapi?" Pikachu sounded worried. Jessie turned around and found Ash staring at her.

"My, My...It's little Ash!!" She exclaimed. "I'm not little" Ash was already annoyed. James and Meowth had turned around on their chairs. "Hey look it's Misty!" James eyes suddenly glazed and he smiled dreamily. "Stop whatever your thinking right now!" Misty cried.

"And it's Brock too, the whole gang's here! _Purr..." _The Persian seemed happy to see them. "Is that...Meowth?" Ash asked, pointing at the cat Pokémon. "Yup, well we still call him Meowth but he evolved about five years ago." James explained.

"What are you guys doing here?" Brock couldn't hold his curiosity any longer. Jessie, James and Meowth all shared the same awkward look on their face. Ash could tell that something had happened to his old enemies.

"Did something...uhh...happen to you guys?" Ash just had to ask, it was depressing, seeing Team Rocket like this. "Yeah, I thought you guys were Team Rocket? Aren't you guys meant to be out stealing Pokémon?" Misty questioned. At the words of Team Rocket, Jessie, James and Meowth flinched. An awkward silence passed between the two parties. Jessie suddenly looked up, her cerulean eyes filled with tears. "Six months ago, Team Rocket was on a mission. The whole organization had been planning an attack to raid villages for rare and valuable Pokémon. The first town raided was Pallet Town."

Ash suddenly gasped in surprise. His home town. The incident six months ago. The fight for Pallet.

Six Months Earlier...

"_What a great day!" Ash said, gazing at the clear blue sky above. "It's really wonderful, isn't it?" Misty replied happily. Brock walked alongside the two teenagers, feeding a snack to his Zubat. "Ash we should let our Pokémon out to enjoy the sun."_

"_Yeah, your right" Ash agreed throwing out four Poké balls in the air. "Come out, everyone!" Four white flashes appeared, followed by four Pokémon. A large lizard Pokémon spread its wings and roared, breathing fire. This was Ash's Charizard. Next, appeared a majestic bird Pokémon, Pidgeot, flying high into the sky, stretching it's wings after a long time inside it's Poké Ball. After that, appeared the grass Pokémon Ivysaur. It smiled at the sun and it's plant on it's back looked more colourful then ever. The last Pokémon was blue in colour and looked like a turtle with a white, bushy tail with matching white ears. It was Wartortle, the water Pokémon. It smiled at Ash and started chasing Ivysaur round and round the trio. Pikachu decided to join in and began chasing Wartortle around. "Pika Pi!"_

_Ash and the others walked on. Eventually, they came to a small village. Ash smiled as he looked upon his old hometown of Pallet. In the distance he could see Professor Oak's lab, a big building surrounded by lots of fields, with Pokémon dotted around the fields. Beyond Oak's lab, Ash could see his own house. He couldn't wait to get there, he was starving._

"_Ash, my little muffin!!" Ash was caught up in a stranglehold by his mother, who was ecstatic to see her son again. "Mum...I...Can't...Breath!!" Ash struggled to get the words out. His mother let go and she was grinning, with tears in her eyes. "Oh Ash, you've grown up so much!! Quite the handsome boy now."_

"_Mum, you're embarrassing me!!" Ash complained. Behind him, Misty and Brock chuckled at his discomfort. "And it's Misty and Brock!! How have you two been?" Ash's mother gave them both a bear hug. "We're...fine...Mrs. Ketchum."_

_After Ash's mum's warm welcome, everyone settled in to eat. A huge roast dinner had been prepared for them. The Pokémon had a special treat in the garden and were enjoying themselves. "Wow, this is amazing" Misty exclaimed. She had a mouth full of food and suddenly began choking. Ash passed her a glass of water and rubbed her back as she drank the whole glass in seconds. "That's what happens when you eat too fast!!" Ash smiled. Misty began to blush. "Thanks, Ash" she murmured._

_After everybody had finished there food, Ash began to talk about life. Ash lived in Cerulean City with Brock, he went to Verbena Academy and was enjoying life. He was on his Easter holidays and missed going out on his Pokémon journey, but he had plans to go on a small journey in his summer holidays, with Misty and Brock. Misty then began to talk about battles she had faced in the Cerulean City gym and the Sensational Sisters. Ash and Brock commented on how good the performances were._

_Brock then talked about how he missed Pewter City and he wanted to see his brother's and sisters and his father again._

_After chatting, Ash stood up. "Well, I want to go check out the village and see how Oak is doing, anyone coming with?" Misty and Brock decided to come and visit Oak too, so Ash recalled all his Pokémon and walked out of the house. "Don't stay out too late, it's beginning to get dark, Ash!" Ash's mum was waving at the door. "Don't worry mum, we'll be back soon." Ash replied._

_The sun was beginning to set, the clouds began to glow red. The trio stared at the sky for a while. "The sky...it's beautiful..." Misty sighed._

_They walked on, Ash was looking around the village he had grown up in. "This place doesn't really change." He commented. He could still see the little play park he always used to go to as a kid. It looked a little rusty but it was still the same as ever. Ash smiled at it. He had plenty of fun memories there._

_It had taken them ten minutes to reach Oak's lab. The sun had almost completely gone and the building was lit up by lights dotted around it. Ash, Misty and Brock all walked in. They found the professor sitting at a big computer in his office. "Hey professor, it's me Ash!" Ash said. "Hey Ash, it's nice to see you again, and Brock and Misty. I hope your all alright after your long journey here."_

_The trio began to chat with the professor. "Hey professor, how are all my old Pokémon doing?" Ash asked. "There all fine, they've missed you a lot, why don't you go visit them? We can chat outside too."_

_The party moved outside. Ash saw familiar Pokémon everywhere and rushed up to greet them. "Hey guys, how is everyone?" The first Pokémon that jumped up was Muk, it looked ecstatic to see it's old master. Then came a herd of Taurus, at which Ash panicked and was chased by the hysterical herd. "Ash seems to be having fun" Brock remarked. Misty didn't notice, she was miles away, staring at Ash. "Misty, are you okay?" Brock asked. "Huh?" Misty suddenly jerked back to reality. "You were miles away, you okay?" Brock had a smile on his face and Misty smiled back. "Yeah, i'm okay, I just zoned out for a moment there."_

_Misty looked back at Ash, thinking._

_Ash..._

_Suddenly, a loud noise erupted. It sounded like it came from the village. "What was that!?" Misty screamed. Professor Oak ran back into the lab and everyone ran after him. The big computer in Oak's office was making a big fuss over something and the office was lit by red lights, which meant an emergency. Oak jumped into his revolving chair and began typing furiously. A window flashed up on the screen and a man's face appeared. Static appeared now and again as the connection struggled to keep up. "Professor Oak! The village is under attack! It's Team Rocket!!" Explosions could be heard through the monitor and the village looked in bad shape._

"_Team Rocket!?" Ash, Misty and Brock were angry. "Do we know what they want?" Oak asked. "They want the Pok_émon _from the lab and are attacking the trainers in the village for their Pokémon also." The man explained. "Very well, we're going to have to fight back." Oak look determined. "Find as many of the remaining trainers as you can and set up a rally point here at the lab, we need to protect the Pokémon."_

"_We want to fight too, Professor." Misty said, a fierce look spread on her face. "Yes, yes, but before you get into the fray, I want you three to go around the village and look for wounded, elderly or stray people or Pokémon and bring them here. Ash, you better go find your mother quick!"_

_The three Pokémon trainers nodded and left the lab. Ash ran ahead, sprinting along the path back to his house. He hoped that his mother would be okay. Misty and Brock ran behind him, struggling to keep up with Ash. Misty's head was in turmoil. She knew Ash was suffering. His town was under attack, and the safety of his family was at stake. She couldn't even imagine what was going through his mind._

_Eventually, they reached Ash's house...or what was left of it. There was a huge hole in the roof, the rim on fire. Most of the windows had been blown out and part of the house had collapsed. Misty threw two Poké Balls into the air and they exploded in a flash of white light. "Staryu, Starmie, help us put out the fire!" She cried. Ash instinctively pulled out one of his own Poké balls and threw it in the air. "Wartortle, I choose you!" The turtle Pokémon appeared, Ash pointed at the house. "Help Misty's Pokémon put out the fire!"_

_As the water Pokémon tackled the fire, Ash ran to the front door and wrenched it open. "Mum!! Where are you!?" Ash cried. He ran forward, towards the living room. Red hot ash tumbled from the roof, almost blinding Ash. "Argh!!" He groaned in pain. He brushed the ash away and continued towards the living room. The fire had scorched the walls and the ceiling, one of the sofa's was in a blaze and the TV was sparking. _

_On the other sofa, Ash found his mother, curled up with her Mr. Mime. They were both trembling with fear, the Pokémon had burns across it's arms and Ash's mother had a nasty cut on her forehead. "Mum!! It's me, Ash!!" Ash ran into the room. "Ash!! No! It's too dangerous here!!" Ash's mother screamed. Something crashed in the house as she spoke and Ash heard a tremendous splintering noise. He could hear Misty screaming his name outside."Mum, we have to go!! This house is gonna fall apart!!" Ash explained. Mr. Mine nodded his head in agreement and ash's mother finally agreed. _

_She latched onto Ash's hand, with his other hand being held by Mr. Mime. Together, Ash guided them outside. Another large crash was heard and the front door suddenly imploded, trapping them inside. "Crap..." Ash muttered. Ash's mother was screaming and Mr. Mime was panicking. Ash could hear Brock shouting outside too. Ash decided to try a window in the kitchen. "Come on guys, we're going to the kitchen" Ash shouted over the noise. _

_He guided them back towards the kitchen and was relieved when he found the kitchen pretty much intact. The window wasn't even broken, but Ash picked up a chair and threw it through the window. Ash quickly scraped any loose bits of glass away from the window frame and turned to face his mother and the Pokémon. "Okay, we're gonna use this to get out. Mum, we'll get you and Mr. mime out first." Ash yelled. He stood back as his mother nodded and began to clamber out of the window, Mr. Mime on her shoulders. Once, they were safely outside, Ash began to climb out of the window. But suddenly, there was a loud crash, right behind him. Ash turned around. A piece of debris had fallen off the kitchen ceiling onto the gas cooker, flicking it on. Ash heard the steady stream of gas jetting out of the damaged cooker. Another loud bang, it was upstairs, the roof was coming in. The ceiling shuddered. As if in slow motion, Ash watched another piece of debris shoot from the ceiling. It fell and collided with the cooker, creating a small spark. Ash dived through the window, there was a huge explosion, and Ash was blasted across the garden, landing in a crumpled heap, laying still._

_Misty and Brock heard the explosion and ran to where it originated. The Pokémon followed, looking worried. Pikachu was running ahead of the gang. "Pikapi!!" It cried._

_The kitchen was an inferno. Flames lit up the sky as the fire slowly spread. The Pokémon worked harder than ever to help put out the fire. Pikachu and Brock ran over to where Ash lay, his mother sobbing over his still body. Misty was froze, her heart had stopped._

_Ash...No..._

_She fell to the floor. Her eyes filled with tears uncontrollably. She couldn't stop them. This pain hurt...it was more than anything she had ever felt in her life._

_He was gone. Ash..._

_Brock was over by Ash. He quickly checked the boy for a pulse. Brock's stomach did a double-take. There was a pulse, a little faint but it was definitely there. Brock looked at Ash's chest. It was rising and falling slowly. Brock sighed with relief. He was alive, but he needed medical attention. _

_Brock looked over at Misty, sobbing uncontrollably. "Misty, get over here!!" Brock shouted over the noise of the fire. Misty looked up, eyes red and puffy from crying. "Brock...he's gone...he's..." She broke down again._

"_Misty!! He's alive! He needs help!" Brock shouted again. Misty's face shot up. "Ash!?" She ran over to his body. She saw it for herself. He was breathing, breathing more heavily then before. She fell down to her knee's. _

_He's alive...it's alright..._

_Suddenly, Ash groaned. He slowly opened his eyes. Misty's heart leapt. "Ash, your okay!!" She cried. She fell on top of him and cried on his shoulder. Ash looked at the sobbing girl lying on top of him in surprise. "I'm okay, Misty, you don't have to worry." He said soothingly. He wrapped his arms around the shaking girls frame and hugged her tightly. She sobbed deeper into his jacket and held him closer._

"_I...I thought you had...died..." Ash looked at her in surprise, then turned his head to look at Brock over her shoulder, who was standing above them, tending to Ash's mother. He just nodded, with a grave look on his face. _

"_I thought...I thought I would never see you again..." Misty's crying seemed to become worse, Ash didn't know what to say. "Misty, it's alright. I'm alive, and still in one piece."_

_Misty's crying lessened for a moment, as she looked up into his face. _

"_Promise me...Promise me you'll never leave me, no matter what." Her ocean-blue eyes were filled with tears, a look of anguish was spread across her face. Ash looked deep into her eyes, her eyes begged him for an answer. _

"_I promise, Misty."_

_Misty went back to crying in his shoulder. Ash was still in shock. He'd never seen Misty like this before. She was crying in what felt like...agony. She'd just made him promise...to never leave her. _

_Ash felt her shuffle and she looked up, her eye red and puffy from crying. "Ash, you mean the world to me...if something ever happened to you, I'd don't know what to do..."_

_Ash was speechless. He didn't know what to say. His heart was battering his ribcage. Misty's face was inches away, he could see the tears on her eyelashes, he could feel the warmth from her body and could feel her rapid, shuddering breath against his face. Their eyes were locked, cerulean to jet-black. Ash's heart was thumping, his nerves were tingling. She was moving closer, her eyelids slowly closing. Her smooth lips brushed against his own, he closed his eyes and returned the kiss. _

_Brock had his back turned to the two teenagers. A medical kit lay beside him as he patched up Ash's mother. "There you go, Mrs. Ketchum, you should be alright now."_

"_Thank you Brock, your very kind. How's Ash doing?" Ash's mother asked. "He should be doing fine, Misty's looking after him." Brock said with a smile. He turned around to check on how the two were doing. He saw Misty lying on top of Ash, kissing him. Brock panicked and turned around, trying to block Ash's mother from seeing. "They're doing absolutely fine, Mrs. Ketchum, now you need to take a rest." Brock said, letting a little panic spill into his voice._

_Ash groaned. Misty was helping him to stand up, all of his muscles were aching and his body had not yet recovered from the shell shock of the explosion. "Come on, easy does it." Misty got his body on to two feet and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder to support him._

_Brock and Ash's mother were ready, so they set off back to the lab. Ash and his mother looked back up at the ruins of the house they once lived in and smiled sadly._

_They had been walking for around ten minutes when the gang heard a roar in the distance. "What was that!?" Misty said in a panicked voice. "Team Rocket..." Ash said quietly. "The main village must still be under attack." Brock remarked._

_After walking a little further, Ash caught sight of the main village. The sky above was a deep shade of red, the blaze of the village illuminated the clouds and the spirals of smoke drifting upwards. Ash could hear woman screaming, children crying, men shouting and the roars and screams of the Pokémon. Bird Pokémon circled the village, flashes of light exploded everywhere, wherever Ash looked, there was more chaos._

"_It's horrible..." Misty whispered. Ash felt a surge of emotion rage through his body. Anger coursed through his mind, as he wrenched free from Misty supporting him and began to run towards the village. "Ash!! No!!" Brock shouted after him, but it was too late, Ash was too far ahead. "Brock!! He's gonna get hurt!!" Misty screamed. Misty began to run too, Brock and Mrs. Ketchum followed._

_..._

"_Alright, we've assembled most of the people from the village. A few trainers are still battling with the Rockets, but I've ordered them to retreat back here." A tall man was reporting to Professor Oak. _

_In front of the lab were a crowd of people, men, woman and children, most of them with Pokémon. "Very good, have the police force, medical care and fire departments arrived yet?" Oak asked. _

"_Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy have just reported to me, the Police have secured the perimeter and all entrances and exits to the village. They have a team of Arcanine's patrolling the main village. The Medical Units have arrived and are currently treating the injured at the lab. Casualties so far have been at least fifteen serious injuries, most of them burns from the Rockets fire Pokémon."_

"_It seems we have the Rockets surrounded and outnumbered. But yet they continue to fight? We must be careful, I fear they have something else planned for this village." Oak look worried._

_..._

"_Squads two and three, follow me! One, four and six, locate any remaining village residents and escort them back to the rally point. Squad five, seven and eight, locate and remaining Rockets and stop them!" A tall, burly man issued the commands to the eight squads. They were all dressed in riot gear and each member had an Arcanine by his or her side._

_The squads separated and soon it was only the tall man and his two squads. "Alright, we've been given special orders by the Professor. Our first objective is to locate the three Pokémon trainers Ash, Misty and Brock, here's their picture." The man drew a picture from his pocket and showed it to the squads. It showed Brock, Ash and Misty, all smiling with Ash's arm wrapped around Misty shoulder and Misty blushing furiously. "Ash may have his mother with him as well. Our second objective is to locate the Professor's Grandson, Gary Oak, who was last seen in a house in the village with his sister Daisy. Squad two, you go and locate Gary and Daisy, Squad three and me will go and find Ash and the others. We meet back at the rally point if we find the targets. Dismissed." The squads separated, beginning their search._

_..._

"_Arcanine, Fire Blast." A trio of Rockets were blown away by the Pokémon's attack._

"_Well done, Arcanine!" A teenage boy with brown spiky hair and green eyes stood next to the fire Pokémon. A teenage girl with blue hair and blue eyes stood next to him. "Gary, we need to get out of here!!" The girl sounded hysterical. "Alright, sis, but first I need to find somebody." Gary looked thoughtful._

_Where are you...Ash?_

_..._

_Ash was running furiously. Pent-up anger gave him a huge burst of energy. He didn't even notice the injuries he'd sustained from the gas explosion. He didn't know where he was going. Everywhere looked the same, fire, smoke, and destruction. Everywhere he turned, all he could see was the remains of a once sleepy village. Team Rocket had just swept in and had destroyed the little town._

_Ash was furious._

_What gives them the right? To come in a wreck other peoples lives?_

_Suddenly, a three figures appeared, silhouetted by the smoke. Ash gazed at them, trying to figure out who they were. They were walking injured, that was for certain. What looked like a cat was being carried by a man, a tall man, who was walking with a limp. Next to him was a woman, with long hair. She also had a limp and it seemed that every step she took was agony. _

_Suddenly, the woman collapsed. The man with the cat knelt down beside her. "Jessie!! Jessie!! Are you okay!? Wake up!!" The man seemed beside himself. He placed the cat next to him on its side, and proceeded to shake the woman called Jessie._

_Ash ran up to the scene, wondering if there was anything he could do. But while he ran, he realised that the voices they had were familiar. "Jessie!! Jessie!! Please...don't..." The man was actually crying, burying his face into his hands. Ash looked over the man, his hair had been singed and his clothing had been torn in several places. He had a big cut on his face and had tears streaking from his eyes._

_The woman began to stir slightly. "James..." She said weakly. "Jessie! Your alive!!" The man called James looked up in surprise. "James...they betrayed us..." Jessie coughed. Her hand had a splash of blood when she removed it from her mouth. "They left us...for dead." James was still weeping. "How's Meowth doing?" Jessie turned her head towards the unconscious Pokémon. "He's...unconscious but he's alive...he's bleeding..."James replied shakily._

_Ash couldn't watch any more. His old enemies...betrayed by the very organization they had worked so hard for. He felt in his pocket, a roll of bandage and a small vial of disinfectant was all he had left from the medical box. He walked up to his old enemies. "Team Rocket..." Ash stared narrowly at the two teenagers. James looked up into his determined faced. Ash looked straight back at his. He could see that James had become almost a completely different person. "Ash...what do you want?" _

_Ash held out the roll of bandages and disinfectant. "I caught on to your little conversation, Team Rocket have betrayed you?"_

"_Why are you helping us?" James completely ignored Ash's question. "Because you guys look practically dead, and...well, you've helped me in the past. It's not much, but...I'll help patch up your wounds." Ash offered. James smiled and took the disinfectant from Ash. While James worked on Jessie, Ash turned towards the cat Pokémon. It was a beautiful Persian, with snow white fur and a long smooth tail. It had a nasty scratch on it's belly, which was bleeding considerably. Ash borrowed the disinfectant from James and placed a swab over the cut. The Persian scrunched up it's face in pain. Quickly, Ash wrapped a large amount of the bandage around the Persians belly and tightened it with a knot, making sure the bandage was firm and not too tight. He then passed the roll of bandage to James who patched up Jessie's injuries._

_Something was bothering Ash. James and him had just finished patching up Jessie and the Persian. James carried Jessie in his arms. _

_They look kinda cute together..._

_Ash was carrying the snow-white Pokémon and suddenly was worried about the small, furry little Meowth that always used to follow Jessie and James around. Maybe this Persian was Meowth, that had evolved. Ash just had to ask. "James, is this...Meowth?" Ash indicated to the sleeping Pokémon in his arms. James nodded. "That's Meowth...He evolved around about five years ago. Me and Jessie were surprised...and a little sad. We thought we had lost a friend. But it turned out the 'Meowth' personality was still there." Ash smiled. "I thought so..."_

_They were heading towards Professor Oak's lab. Ash figured there would be help there, and Misty and the others would have gone there too. But then suddenly, he realised that they wouldn't be able to go in there with their uniforms, no matter how shredded up they were. "Hey James, I'm gonna take you guys up towards Oak's lab, I'll say your friends of mine that I found injured in the village. But your gonna have to ditch the Rocket uniforms..."_

_James smiled. "I understand." They stopped walking whilst James, put Jessie down for a moment and looked at his shirt. "Wasn't much left of this anyway." James commented, and just ripped the remains of his shirt off, leaving a muscular torso bare. "The real problem is Jessie, does she wear a shirt under her Rocket shirt?" Ash suddenly looked worried. "I don't know. Here, pass me your jacket. We can at least use that to cover the...unimaginables." James looked a little nervous as he slowly lifted Jessie's shirt. "Please don't kill me for this, Jessie."_

_A few minutes later, the group were back on the road towards Oak's lab. Jessie had Ash's blue jacket on and James was still bare from the waist up. Ash could see Oak's lab in the distance. Police, Ambulance and fire brigade lights lit up the night sky and siren's blasted the air. _

"_Ash!!" A voice shouted at him, from behind. Ash spun around. A teenage boy was running towards him. He had brown spiky hair and vivid green eyes that were slightly hypnotising. He was followed by a teenage girl with bright blue hair and matching blue eyes. On the boy's other side was a Pokémon, an Arcanine. "Hey, look who it is!" Ash shouted back with a smile. Ash would recognise that face anywhere. _

_Gary Oak. Ash's old rival from his journey days. Ash hadn't seen him in a long time, and he could tell that Gary had grown quite a bit. "Hey Ash, good to see you!!" Gary greeted Ash. "Same here, it's been a long time." Ash smiled back. "Hey Ash..." The girl with blue hair spoke up nervously. "Hey Daisy, it's good to see you too." The girl turned bright red and smiled at him nervously._

"_Anyway, Ash, these friends of yours?" Gary Oak pointed to James and Jessie. "Uhhh...yeah, I found them in the village, they were in pretty bad shape..." Ash was a little unsure of what to say. "Ahhh, that's okay then, I thought I might've seen them before...and your in a pretty rough shape yourself, let's get you back to the lab." Gary took the lead as Ash and James followed, Jessie and 'Meowth' still fast asleep._

_..._

_Misty had her face pressed up against a window, like she had been for the past couple of hours. Ash still hadn't returned to the lab yet, she was already worried sick about him._

_It had only been a few hours, but Misty could still remember it. It had been her first time so she probably wouldn't forget it for a long time._

_I still can't believe it...I kissed Ash!! After all this time, It's finally happened!!_

_She felt a powerful urge, every time she thought back to that moment. The soft, smoothness of his lips, the powerfulness of the embrace they shared and the heartbeat that she had felt beating rapidly as she lay on him. _

_She couldn't take it any more. "Where the hell is he!?" She yelled. Brock, who had been sitting next to her, jumped out of his seat and looked at the girl, worriedly. "He'll be back, Misty, he always come back." Brock tried to calm her down. "He promised me...He promised he would never leave me!!" Misty's eyes suddenly began to flow with tears._

_Suddenly she gasped. "Look!!" She pointed out of the window. Brock followed her finger. Ash was outside, walking towards the front of the lab, followed by six other figures. Misty ran towards the front of the lab and ran outside._

"_Hey Misty!" Ash looked exhausted. He was still carrying the sleeping Persian. "Ash..." Misty's eyes started to fill with tears. "Misty, i'm okay, come on, please don't cry..." Ash looked at the girl worriedly. Misty wiped away the tears beginning to collect. "Sorry Ash, this is no time to be crying! Here, let me give you a hand."_

_Misty guided Ash towards the medical bay. Ash placed the sleeping Persian on a stretcher. James placed Jessie on a stretcher next to it. "Thank you, Ash...we owe you our lives..." James extended a hand, Ash took it and smiled at his old enemy._

_Suddenly, Ash began to feel dazed. His world was spinning around. He felt a pair of arms grab hold of him. Everything went dark. Ash closed his eyes._

"_Ash!?" Misty screamed in panic. Brock ran over and helped her drag his unconscious body towards a stretcher. Professor Oak, Gary and Ash's mother all ran over too. "Nurse Joy, is he gonna be okay?" Brock asked the nurse. "He's going to be fine." The nurse smiled at the people gathered. "From what I hear, this young man has been through a lot tonight, he's exhausted, all he needs is a good nights sleep. I suggest you all go and get checked for injuries and then try to find a place to rest." Misty collapsed on to her knees and sighed with relief. "Ash, you jerk. Sweet dreams..."_

_James stood by Jessie and Meowth in the medical bay. "Get better soon, you two...after you wake up, we're going to have to rethink our lives..." James smiled sadly._

_Brock slumped into a chair by the windows. "I think i'm just going to crash here for the night." _

"_Me too, i'm exhausted..." Misty yawned. "Hey Misty, isn't that James? You know, the guy who came in holding a girl with Ash?" Brock looked confused. "Hey, yeah it is." Misty squinted at the tall, blue haired teenager. "Something must of happened to him and Jessie and Meowth." Brock suddenly looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I think Ash knows, we'll ask him in the morning." Misty yawned. "Goodnight Brock."_

"_Goodnight Misty, see you in the morning." Misty was already fast asleep. Not long later, Brock was snoring._

...

Ash remembered everything. It had all come flooding back to him. The destruction of the village, Team Rocket, and what had happened to Jessie, James and Meowth. Misty and Brock had looks of recognition on their faces too. "I remember now, I helped you back at Pallet Town when it was getting destroyed. Team Rocket had betrayed you and guys almost died." Ash spoke with relief. It had been a long time. "But what I don't get is that the morning after the battle, you guys had disappeared from the medical center." Misty looked baffled. "We had to get a head start on our new life, but it hasn't been easy." James looked sad. "We've had to hide from the Rockets. Somehow, they found out that we survived and we've been on the run." Jessie looked angry. "Hunted down but the same people we once called comrades." Meowth had spoken up and looked angry too.

"But why did you come to Cerulean City?" Brock asked. "They say that Cerulean City is the safest place to be right now. Police are everywhere and it's the only town the Rockets haven't attacked yet." James explained. "So they've been going around, destroying villages all this time!?" Ash exclaimed. "Well not exactly, no." Jessie began. "From the information we've been able to gather from friends that are still friendly to us in the Rockets, the Pallet operation was a complete disaster, they didn't catch a single rare Pokémon and they lost a lot of their men to the police. But that doesn't mean they haven't tried elsewhere. It was in the news only a few weeks ago, do you remember"

"The attacks on Fuchsia!?" Brock seemed startled. "Yup, and apparently the attack was somewhat successful." James replied glumly. "That's bad news..." Ash was still trying to remember everything he could from six months ago. The easiest thing he could remember, was the thing most special.

Ash looked up at Misty and smiled.

_I wonder if she remembers..._

Misty's was miles away. She was also thinking about the events six months ago. It had been a truly special night for her. The kiss...with Ash.

And the promise they had made, as she lay on top of him.

"_Promise me...Promise me you'll never leave me, no matter what."_

Misty looked up at Ash and returned his smiled back at him.

_I wonder if he remembers..._

* * *

Hehe, I hope you all enjoyed that. It was really hard, trying to make it fit together. I kept coming up with idea's so I didn't quite know where to stop. Next chapter will probably be a little shorter.

From here on out, i'll try and put in more romance, so far its not been much. Except obviously, for Ash and Misty's little moment. :P Please give me lots of reviews, and your welcome to throw a few ideas at me too, the girls could help me with the romance bit a little, it was difficult to describe...

from

David Shigure .x


	3. Enter, The Sensational Sisters!

Alright, Hey guys! I am sooo sorry this took so long to get out. You guys probably hate me:(. There were good reasons though.;)

Coursework was hanging around so i got that out of the way.  
As a reward i got MGS4, THE longest game in the world, which I just had to finish. :)  
And then after playing MGS4, all i had in my head were nuclear mecha :( so i had a small dose of writer's block too.

But finally here it is, Chapter 3!!

* * *

"Passion"

Chapter 3: Enter, the Sensational Sisters!

It was dark. Misty couldn't see anything. She was nervous, and was a little shaky. Something grabbed her hand. "You alright, Misty? You seem a little nervous." The voice belonged to Misty's elder sister Daisy. Misty smiled a little. "A bit, yeah...he's down there..."

"Oh, come on Misty, he's seen you do this a million times before." It was a different voice this time. It belonged to Violet, another of Misty's sisters. "This happens every time. Concentrate, alright? You'll be fine." This was yet another voice, it belonged to Lily, the last of Misty's sisters. "I'll be fine, don't worry" Misty replied.

Misty squinted in the darkness. Try as she might, she couldn't see anything, but she just knew he was there. She was going to make this performance special, just for him.

...

"I wonder how she's doing?" Ash sounded excited. "I dunno, but I can't wait!" Brock was sitting next to him and sounded just as excited as he did. They were sitting in a huge auditorium, which was packed full of people. "What time is it?" Brock asked. "It's 6.30, it should start any second." Ash replied. Suddenly, the auditorium lights dimmed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Cerulean City Gym!!" A female announcer's voice blared across the auditorium. The crowd cheered and clapped. "Before the performance begins, we must remind the audience that all mobile phones and pagers be switched off, we thank you for your co-operation."

...

Misty could hear the crowd. She smiled to herself. "They'll be getting a treat tonight." Violet whispered. "Alright girls, positions!" Daisy ordered.

Misty walked over to her position, picking her way across the gym's ceiling's rafters, playing through the routine in her head. It was simple enough. "Let's go get em' girls." Lily said mischievously.

...

"And now, the Cerulean City gym presents...the Sensational Sisters!!" The announcer's voice yelled across the gym and the crowd went wild. A spotlight erupted from the rafters, illuminating two figures on one side of the pool, standing on a large diving board, positioned high above the huge swimming pool.

"Presenting Violet and Lily Waterflower!" The two figures were waving at the crowd and smiling excitedly. Violet was wearing a green leotard with little frills at the hips. She had beautiful ocean blue hair, with matching blue eyes. Lily was wearing an orange leotard with similar frills to Violet. She had vivid, shoulder length pink hair and bright green eyes. "They look beautiful!" Brock was in a heavenly daze and couldn't take his eyes off the duo. "They sure do..." Ash was also captivated by the sisters beauty.

Another spotlight erupted from the rafters, this time illuminating two figures on the other side of the pool. "Presenting Daisy and Misty Waterflower!"

...

Misty felt extremely exposed, but happy at the same time. The spotlight shone straight in her face, but she didn't mind. She waved to the crowd and had a big grin on her face. She looked around the crowd, to see if she could see him. Then she spotted him. He was waving and cheering for her. It was Ash.

_I'll make this a performance you'll never forget...Ash..._

...

Ash just couldn't stop cheering. Misty looked stunning, dressed in a light blue leotard with the frills. She had let her hair down which came down to her shoulders and was smiling. Then she looked down. Ash could've sworn she looked straight into his eyes and gave him a wink. Ash smiled back and waved at her.

Suddenly, music erupted around the gym. The girls turned to face each other, across the pool. Misty looked at Lily and Daisy looked at Violet. At the same time, Daisy and Violet dived off the board, twirling and flipping in the air, finishing with a perfect dive into the pool.

The crowd cheered again, Daisy and Violet appeared in the water and did a sort of bow in the water. Ash looked up again at the diving boards. The beat in the music was getting faster. Misty and Lily were poised, ready to leap off the boards. The beat in the music suddenly slowed down, Misty dived off the board. Ash watched as Misty did flips and twists in the air, captivated by the movement. She finished off with another perfect dive into the water. Ash stood up and cheered. Misty appeared in the water and did a bow, smiling over at Ash's direction.

The four sisters then went to the four corners of the pool. They dived straight back to the center and grabbed each others hands, forming a diamond shape. They circled around the pool in the diamond shape, getting faster and faster. Suddenly they separated. They dived underwater and pushed their legs to the surface, synchronising their leg movements with each other, creating shapes.

Ash was amazed, Misty's swimming never failed to amaze him. She looked so beautiful and elegant in the water. The girls prepared for their final technique. Ash had seen this before, it was fun to watch, and a different sister was used every time. They called it 'the Sensational Sister Shot'.

The girls gathered in the center of the pool. Three of the sisters joined hands in the middle, creating a step. Misty jumped out of the water and landed neatly on the step. Misty bent her legs as the girls threw Misty into the air. She jumped and performed her astonishing flips in the air, before diving back into the pool again. The crowd roared in delight and cheered.

Misty was delighted, it had been her first time ever doing 'the Sensational Sister Shot' and she had perfected it. She did a bow in the water as the lights dimmed.

...

"I'll admit, that was pretty impressive." Jessie had been watching the performance closely. "Yeah..." James was stuck in a daze.

"James? Hello, anyone in?" Meowth waved a paw in front of James's face. James still didn't reply, his face blushing bright red. "James, wake up! They're not that beautiful!" Jessie whacked him across the head. "Ow...you wanna bet on that? They're gorgeous!" James was grinning hysterically.

"Okay James, here's a question for you. Who's more pretty, them or me?" Jessie asked, an evil grin on her face. "Uhh...well, um, y'know..." James mumbled, his face turned even brighter. "Jessie, that's just cruel" Meowth giggled. "I know, and i'm going to ask him until he gives me an answer!"

"Oh boy..." James mumbled.

...

"Wow." Ash was going over the performance in his head. "Yeah, you said it. Them girls were awesome." Brock was still in awe over the performance. "Misty was incredible..." Ash mumbled to himself. "Ash, can I ask you something?" Brock suddenly sounded serious. "Uhh sure, go ahead."

"How much do you like Misty?" Brock asked innocently. "Wha...What?" Ash was blushing slightly. "You couldn't take your eyes off her for the whole thing." Brock teased.

Ash shuffled around in his chair."I...uhh...I dunno, I guess...I like her."

"Heh, right, you more than just like her, don't cha?" Brock smiled evilly. "So what if I do? What's your point?." Ash pouted. "Well, I was thinking. You should ask her out!" Brock suggested. "What!? I couldn't do that, she'd say no!" Ash exclaimed wildly. "Oh yeah? How would you know? I've been watching you two for a while now, and it seems obvious to me that you both like each other." Brock said. Ash was suddenly very quiet.

_Ask out Misty? How the hell would I do that? And what if Brock's wrong?_

"Where would we go anyway? I don't have a clue where to take a girl on a date..." Ash sighed. "The Cerulean Cape" Brock said dramatically. Ash just looked at him confused. "It's the number one dating spot around here. And it's just on the city outskirts too. Misty told me about it once, and I've seen it. It's a beautiful place. Ash, you should take Misty there, as a little present as a way of saying thank you for tonight's performance."

Ash thought to himself. "Maybe...maybe I will..."

_Misty..._

_..._

Misty was walking back to the changing rooms, waving at the crowd. She looked over at Ash and Brock. Ash's face was bright red, he was arguing with Brock, who seemed to be teasing him. Misty smiled.

_I hope you enjoyed that..._

All of a sudden, the lights in the gym went out, plunging the gym into complete darkness. Misty couldn't see anything. People were screaming. Daisy, Lily and Violet were having a fit beside her.

"Misty!"

Ash was calling her name, he sounded very far away. "Ash!" Misty yelled as loud as she could. She was beginning to panic.

_What's happening?_

"Ladies and Gentlemen, allow us to introduce ourselves." A voice blared across the gym. "We are Team Rocket. The high-profile criminal organization. I've no doubt you've heard about us, so I'll make this quick. In this room are three teenagers. With your co-operation, we are going to find these three kids. Nobody leaves this room alive until the three kids are found."

Misty looked around in the darkness, she was in shock.

_Team Rocket, here?_

"All exits are sealed and the three trainers are outnumbered. I suggest you give yourselves up quietly, before anybody gets hurt." The Rocket on the announcer sniggered. The lights slowly came back on. Rocket guards were stationed at each entrance to the gym, various, fearsome looking Pokémon at their feet.

Misty looked at the place where Ash and Brock had been. They had disappeared. Misty slowly backed into the changing rooms. She was just about to open the door, when it flung open and a pair of arms flew out grabbing her and covering her mouth.

...

"Jeez, pretty rude of 'em, don't cha think?" Meowth had a look of pure hatred on his face. "Your right Meowth. I don't think we ever made as rude an opening as this." James shared the same look as Meowth, he was clenching his fists. "They should at least have some sort of catchy motto, or something."

Jessie was quiet. "Hey Jessie, we'll get out of this, I promise." James grabbed her shoulders. Jessie looked up, the familiar evil smile on her face. "Oh we will, and I think I just know how. Follow me." Ducking down, the trio crept amongst the bewildered crowd, taking care not to be seen.

...

Ash was red-faced. He looked like he was in a lot of pain. He was clutching his right hand, where there was a line of teeth marks etched firmly onto his skin. "Ah...Ahh...It hurts..."

"Ash I'm so sorry, I thought you were a Rocket trying to kidnap me." Misty looked pretty ashamed with herself. "ugh...don't worry about it, we had to get you in here, that's all that matters at the moment."

They were all inside the girl's locker room. It had aquamarine walls, showing fish swimming past. "Wow, this place looks like an aquarium" Ash looked around impressed. "I didn't know this was in here" Brock also looked around. "And a good thing too, this is the girl's locker room, if you know what I mean." Misty had her arms folded, a mean look on her face. "Heh heh." The boys both blushed.

Ash looked at the fish swimming around the room. The ceiling also looked like a fish tank. Ash squinted at something. "Hey Misty, is all the water in the gym connected somehow? Like the swimming pool and the water used here?"

"Well, yeah, but why?" Misty looked confused. "Isn't that the pool?" Ash pointed at the ceiling. Brock looked up. "He's right, there's light coming from up there, shaped like the pool." Misty smiled. "Your cleverer than you look, that's the pool, and we're in the girls locker room, directly beneath it, with a lot of water in between. Sometimes we use that pool to scuba dive and stuff. With all the water under the gym, it makes for good practice."

"That's pretty clever, this place never runs out of tricks" Brock laughed. "Anyway, now we have to think up a plan. It's pretty obvious the Rockets are after us, but there's too many of them. We can't take them on by ourselves." Ash sounded serious. "Heh, makes me wish it was just Jessie, James and Meowth all over again. They're a lot easier to handle than the army they've got upstairs." Misty sighed. Ash winced, his hand was stinging, it was bleeding. "Ouch, Misty you bite harder than Pikachu!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry already! Look wait here, I'll go get something for that. You two keep trying to think of some way to get out of this mess." Misty looked a little upset as she walked over to a first-aid bay. "I guess she's right. We can't go upstairs, there's too many Rockets to deal with and we can't get anywhere from down here. This is hard...Ash, you got any ideas?...Ash?" Brock looked at him.

Ash wasn't paying any attention. He was transfixed by something. Brock followed his gaze. Misty was bent over, searching for something in a cupboard. She was still wet from the pool, and she was still wearing her leotard. Which meant that there was only thing Ash could possibly be staring at...

_Oh my god..._

"Hey Ash, all I got is some bandage." Misty turned around to face the two boys staring at her. "What are you two staring at?" Misty said indignantly. "Huh?" The two boys mumbled in perfect synchronisation. Misty began to bandage Ash's hand. "So have you two got a plan or what? It won't be long before they find us here."

"Oh, uh...we haven't thought of anything yet." Ash was watching Misty as she tied up the bandage. "Umm...guys, I think they have a plan." Brock was pointing to the aquarium walls. Outside were Jessie, James and Meowth, wearing scuba gear and dive suits, grinning and waving.

...

"That's crazy!"

Ash, Brock, Misty, Jessie, James, Meowth and Pikachu were all gathered in the girl's locker room. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu didn't sound overly enthusiastic. Misty didn't like the sound of the idea at all. "Misty, your the only chance we've got to get out of this mess." Brock sounded desperate. "But I..." Misty was scared. This would be hard to pull off, what if the Rockets got her?

"Misty, listen to me, your going to be fine." Ash grabbed her by the shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. "We won't let the Rockets hurt you. We won't let them anywhere near you. I swear, I'll protect you, no matter what it takes!"

Misty was speechless.

_His eyes...they're so warm...it...it's gonna be alright_

Ash hugged her. He felt so warm. Misty was still in her leotard, which was still a little wet. She never wanted to let go. She wrapped her arms around him, absorbing his heat.

_She's shivering. And she's still wet from the water...yet she still feels warm to touch. And she's really cuddly._

Ash's smiled as her shivering slowly calmed down. "You feeling better, Misty?"

She looked up into his eyes and nodded. "Thank you, Ash. I think...I'll do it, we need to get out of here."

...

"Pi Pikachu..." Pikachu was nervous. "It's okay, Pikachu, we're gonna be fine." Misty gave the lightning mouse a hug. "Ash said he'd look out for us okay? We need to divert the Rocket's attention. We'll buy the others the time they need."

"Cha..." Pikachu agreed uneasily.

Misty walked up the stairs back to the main auditorium. She reached the doors and slowly pushed one open. "Pika?" Pikachu was at Misty's legs and looked around the door. "There's no one there..." Misty was confused. The main hall was empty, all the people had disappeared. "I thought the Rockets weren't going to let anybody out?"

"Unless we found the three brats that ruined our organization." A voice shot from the shadows. "Now that we've found you, the others can go free."

"Where are you!?" Misty yelled. "We've got you surrounded, now why don't you just surrender, Misty?" The voice sounded cold. "How the hell do you know my name?" Misty was furious. There was no response. Instead, footsteps were heard walking towards her. Misty grabbed three Poke balls. She threw them into the air. "Starmie, Staryu and Golduck. Protect me!"

Three flashes of pure white light appeared. Staryu, the star-shaped water Pokémon stood directly ahead of her. To her left, watching her back was Starmie, the evolution of Staryu. It's core glowed rapidly, indicating anger. To her right was Golduck. The Pokémon had it's fists clenched, it was guarding Misty in case of a surprise attack from behind. Together, the Pokémon formed a triangle-shaped net of protection. It was Misty's only defence against being surrounded.

"Your Pokémon have grown stronger, since last we met." The stranger walking towards her had his Pokémon out too. A beautiful Ninetails, it's face contorted into fury.

_A Ninetails? Who do I know that has a Ninetails?_

The stranger walked into the light. It was a tall, teenage boy with messy, black hair, tied with a red bandanna. His wore a black combat jacket, with two red stripes on either side of the chest. He also had black combat trousers, a long red stripe down the side of each leg.

Misty squinted at him. He seemed familiar, but she just couldn't quite recall his face. "My name is Ryouga, I fought at this gym for a cascade badge, four years ago. After the defeat I suffered, I went to train and returned to the gym, determined to get the badge." Ryouga opened his jacket to reveal the eight badges of Kanto. Misty's Cascade badge sparkled at her, the second badge in his jacket. "After I won, I realised something. Your battle style, your beauty and charm had stolen my heart. I fell in love whilst battling you. I asked you out, determined to start a happy relationship with you.

But it wasn't to be. You rejected me and ran off instead to another. The boy called Ash.

You had torn my heart into a million pieces. I had no idea what to do. I wandered around, earning the badges needed to compete in the Pokémon League. I competed in the tournament, and lost. This further crushed all my hopes and dreams. Finally, I entered Team Rocket. They took me in, and gave me a new purpose in life. Destroy the one who crippled Team Rocket, five years ago. That was Ash. He has to be eliminated, as does the leader of the Pewter City gym, Brock. But as for you. I'll steal you away from the puny little Ash, and take my revenge on the world! With you as my partner."

Misty had listened to his little speech, her expression changing from confused, to shocked and finally, rage. "You must be crazy! I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings way back then, but my feelings are still the same. I don't love you. I can't love you, because I love him. Me and him, we've travelled the world together, been through a lot together, y'know? And apart from that, he's a great guy, a little ditzy maybe, but not crazy like you!"

"But you must understand, my dear, that your precious little Ash won't be around for much longer. I'll get rid of him, and then nothing will be in our way." Ryouga said softly. "NO!!" Misty ran at him, fists clenched. In front of her, the Ninetails jumped in the way, growling at her. Misty skidded to a halt. "That's right, no need to die needlessly." Ryouga smirked. "If you go against me, you'll be overwhelmed by yourself."

"Who said she's by herself?" Ash's voice echoed around the gym, he sounded like he was up on the stage rafters. Misty looked around, but couldn't see him. "Show yourself!" Ryouga shouted, also looking at the rafters. There was a loud swoosh noise, Ash jumped from his hiding place and landed just in front of Misty. He stood up, smiling. "The game's up, Ryouga!"

"Why, you've finally decided to show up? The party's just getting started." Ryouga grinned at him. "Oh no, the party's over for you buddy. Officer Jenny and the police have the gym surrounded." Ash had a sneaky smile for Ryouga. "Well, If that's the way it is..." Ryouga said softly. He reached for his belt. "Rocket's! Prepare for evacuation! Arcanine, go!" He threw a Poké ball into the air. It exploded in a flash of white light. The large dog Pokémon appeared, growling at Ash. "Heh, if that's the way you wanna play it..." Ash smirked.

...

"Officer Jenny! What's the plan?" Brock was walking after the police woman, his face a little red. "They've barricaded themselves in. All the entrances to the gym are locked out. We'll blast our way in and take care of the grunts." Officer Jenny looked confident, which made Brock feel at ease. He had escaped the gym through a window and alerted the police as to what was going on. Now he was on his way back, an army of police in riot gear followed, each with a Pokémon by their side.

This was part of the plan. Brock would go and alert the police. Misty would buy some time, by distracting the Rockets, along with Pikachu. Ash would be backup for Misty in case she got into trouble. And as for Jessie, James and Meowth...

...

"Charizard, I Choose You!" Ash called out the fire-breathing dragon Pokémon. It roared and flapped it's wings in anticipation of the battle. The Arcanine barked at it and began to run. Charizard blasted a jet of fire at it. The Arcanine dodged the attack and pounced, tackling Charizard hard. "Charizard, Fire Blast!" Ash shouted. Charizard roared and began to hover in the air. It opened it's mouth, taking in as much oxygen as it could. Then it let loose with a wall of flame, rushing to greet the defenceless Arcanine. The flame encased the Pokémon. Ash smiled, it was over before it had even begun.

Ryouga smiled. "You think you've won already? Think again." The Arcanine appeared amongst the smoke left behind after the blast. It's fur looked a little singed but it looked fine otherwise. Ash growled. "Charizard, tackle it!"

"Quick attack!" Ryouga commanded. The two Pokémon met head to head, skull bashing each other. Charizard roared in pain. Arcanine whimpered. Both Pokémon got to their feet and glared at each other. "Arcanine, Slash it!" Ryouga shouted. "Charizard, try to dodge it, you need time to recover!" Ash was trying to think tactically. Something he normally wasn't good at, his usual tactic was go in all guns blazing. But the Arcanine was well trained, Ash needed to put his training to the test.

Charizard managed to dodge the leaping Pokémon's attack. Arcanine flew forward past the dragon Pokémon. It was heading straight for Ash. "Ash!" Misty shouted at him. "Look out!"

"Pika Pi!!" Pikachu looked in horror as Ash tried to jump out of the way. The Arcanine's sharp claws grazed his arm. He felt in slice his jacket, digging through the material. Then he felt it rip through his arm, slicing his upper arm. The pain was horrible, like being sliced with a knife, a sharp, agonising pain. Blood sprayed from the open wound, flying into the air. He landed on the floor, clutching his arm.

Ash groaned in pain, "ASH!!" Misty ran over and knelt next to him. "I'm alright...just a scratch..." Ash tried to get up on one knee. Misty turned to face Ryouga. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" She yelled at him. The Arcanine leaped back in front of it's master. Ryouga just smiled. "That's it, now i'm mad..." Ash growled. He stood up, still clutching his arm. "Charizard, we're gonna blast them away." Charizard roared in agreement, glaring angrily at the Arcanine.

"Seismic Toss!" Ash shouted. Charizard raced towards the Arcanine, flying as fast as it could. It then picked up the Arcanine in its powerful claws and flew it to the top of the gym. The dog Pokémon panicked, pining and whimpering. Charizard flew back to the ground as fast as he could, and threw Arcanine to the ground. The dog Pokémon landed with a crash, creating a small crater. It looked dazed and weakened. "Well done, Charizard!" Ash cheered. "Arcanine!" Ryouga looked panicked. "Now let's finish it off! Fire Blast it!" Ash yelled. Charizard inhaled deeply and let fly. An intense wall of heat rushed towards Arcanine, completely smothering it.

The Arcanine came out of the blast, cross-eyed and dizzy. Arcanine fainted, it's scorched body still smoking. "Arcanine!" Ryouga had a look of fear on his face. "Return!" A flash of red light, the Arcanine had disappeared. "I'll get you this time!" Ryouga reached for his belt again.

"Oh no you don't!" A voice echoed around the gym again. "Who's that!?" Ryouga looked around in a panic. There was a loud swoosh noise, three figures appeared from the rafters. "Allow us to introduce ourselves." The first figure stood up, it was Jessie. "Make that double." James stood up right next to her, smiling. Meowth stood up beside them. "It's a shame our old motto's grown out of use, but for now at least, it looks like we've won." The trio surrounded Ryouga. "You've done well, Ash..." Ryouga had his head down, his hair covering his eyes. "I'll be back, Fufufufu." Suddenly, a dark smokescreen appeared, completely blinding Ash and the others. "Just who does he think he is!" Misty coughed. The smokescreen disappeared. Ash looked around. There was no-one left but them. "They just up and vanish, cowards." Meowth looked disappointed.

A door crashed open in the auditorium. "Damn, they've all escaped." It was Officer Jenny, closely followed by Brock. "Hey guys, you all okay?" Brock shouted. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu waved.

...

"Ow!" Ash was getting his wound disinfected. "Ash! Sit still or this will get infected." Misty was busy with the wound in the girl's locker room. "ugh..." He groaned. He looked at Misty, busily working away at his injury. She got the bandage and wrapped it around Ash's wound. "There, that should heal up perfectly now." Misty smiled. She leaned in and gave the bandage a little kiss. Ash turned bright red, his heart beat accelerated. "Thank you, Ash..." Misty was blushing a little.

Suddenly, the door to the girl's locker room opened. "Aha! There she is!" Misty's three sisters walked in. "The hero and heroine of the Cerulean City Gym!" Daisy smiled. "And check it out, they're alone together!" Lily winked at them. Ash and Misty both went bright red. "Aww look at them, we must of walked in on something..." Violet giggled. "Nothing happened!!" Misty yelled. "Jeez, no need to get all defensive about it" Lily teased. "Anyway, we've been looking for you two to tell you that we're having a party here as a celebration for what happened." Daisy explained. "So you two need to get ready."

...

_8:45pm. Cerulean City Gym._

Ash, Misty and Brock were back in the gym. Ash's had changed out of his torn jacket and put a new one on. Misty was wearing a blue Cerulean gym T-Shirt and denim shorts. Brock was wearing his usual attire. The party was in full swing, there was a dance floor in the main auditorium, music blaring from the speakers around the gym, and buffet tables everywhere. Ash and Misty had eaten as much as they could and were relaxing. "Hey guys, I just realised something." Misty looked excited. "Summer's just a week away from today!"

"Hey, you're right! I wonder if we'll go anywhere this year?" Ash wondered. "Well, last year we went to Fuchsia." Brock smiled. "The beaches there were beautiful!" Misty sighed. "The year before we went to Vermilion." Ash enjoyed that trip, they had got to ride the S.S. Luca to Johto on a cruise. "Hey, I have an idea. This year, us and a few friends could go to Hoenn!" Misty loved Hoenn, it was nice and warm. "Yeah, that seems like a great idea! We can go and visit May, see what she's up to!" Ash suggested. Brock stayed quiet. "Hey Brock, what do you think? Good idea?" Misty grinned. "Uhh, yeah, sounds good to me." Brock looked a little flushed. "Hey, you okay, buddy?" Ash noticed something was up with him. Misty smiled evilly. "I think somebody misses May a lot..."

"..." Brock had his mouth open, but no words came out. "Ooh, I think somebody had a crush on May!" Misty giggled. "Do not!" Brock quickly denied. "Do too!" Misty threw back. "Hey Brock, whatever happened to Dawn? I thought you liked her?" Ash began to tease him. "Whoa, hey Dawn too? Somebody's quite the womaniser..." Misty was relentless. "Hey Misty, I have an idea. Maybe we could invite May and Dawn to our Hoenn cruise?" Ash was having a hard time containing his laughter. "What!?" Brock panicked. "Yeah, that seems like a great idea to me!" Misty couldn't hold it in, she burst into a fit of giggles. Brock was speechless and bright red. Ash chuckled. Daisy came around, holding a tray of drinks. "And how is everybody?"

"We're all good." Ash was still laughing. Misty was still giggling. Brock was still blushing furiously. "That's good to hear. Now, Misty, sake?" Daisy smiled. "Daisy, I'm 15!" Misty said in mock outrage. "Aww Misty, it's only a little sake." Brock teased her. "Hey you, i'm still not finished with you and all these girls!" Misty said with a sly grin. Daisy placed the sake on the table, placing three saucers of sake in front of the trio. "Enjoy, and don't let on it was me who gave it to you, say it was Violet or Lily" Daisy winked and hurried off.

...

The music suddenly changed. Misty jumped up. "Hey Ash, I love this song! Come and dance with me!" Ash suddenly panicked.

_I can't dance!!_

Misty grabbed his hand. "Come on, lets go!" She pulled him over to the dance floor, where there was a crowd of people dancing. Jessie and James were also dancing, choosing to dance slowly in time with the song. They waltzed past, grinning at Ash and Misty. "Come on, let's see what you can do!" James smiled at them.

The light's sparkled on them, changing colours slowly. Misty grabbed Ash's hands and placed them on her hips. Then she put her arms around his neck and looked deep into his eyes. "Dance with me..." she whispered.

Ash liked this song. It was Miracle by Vertical Horizon. He knew the words and sung them in his head. Misty was leading the dance, directing his body, circling slowly.

_Its taken much too long__  
To get it right__  
Would it be so wrong  
__To maybe find someone  
A miracle..._

_And all you really need  
Is everything you could never be  
and so you'd give it all  
For a miracle..._

Ash felt Misty guide his feet. To anybody looking, it looked as though they danced in perfect sync with each other. Ash suddenly remembered this part of the song, and had an idea.

He spun her around slowly, and brought her back to him. Then he leaned her to the ground slowly, and looked deep into her eyes.

_Is there a trace  
Inside her face  
Of a lonely miracle  
And so you wait  
And lie awake  
For a lonely miracle..._

She blushed and giggled softly. Ash smiled and brought her back to her feet. They spun and twirled. Ash was using ideas he'd seen on TV. Then suddenly, the song went back to a slower tempo. Ash placed his hands on Misty's hips, she placed her arms around his neck and leant her head against his chest.

_You never really know  
What it is  
Not until it goes  
And if it comes again  
Its a miracle..._

The lyrics brought back memories for Ash. When he had been travelling around Hoenn, Misty went along with him. But eventually she had to go. She went back to her gym in Cerulean, and Ash didn't see her for a long time after. The day she left, he remembered how upset she looked, and how badly Ash missed her when she did go.

_But what you miss is love  
In everything, below and up above  
And could she bring it all  
A miracle..._

Misty looked up from his chest, her eyes sparkling. Ash looked back, their eyes locking. Cerulean to jet-black.

_Is there a trace  
Inside her face  
Of a lonely miracle  
And so you wait  
And lie awake  
For a lonely miracle..._

Ash spun her around, leaned her far and then brought her back close. Then they waltzed around the floor, never taking there eyes off each other.

_All you wanted was a (miracle)  
All you needed was a miracle  
A miracle  
And all you wanted was a (miracle)  
All you needed was a miracle  
A miracle..._

Brock looked at the pair dancing, his eyes slowly filling with tears as a smile spread across his face.

_Five years ago, you would never have got them together like this. They were constantly arguing, always fighting. But I could always tell, they had feelings for each other...And now look at them. I think it's finally time they admitted how they felt for each other._

Meowth was beside him looking at Jessie and James, his eyes brimming just like Brock's.

Ash slowly waltzed with Misty, there eyes never broke apart. His heart was battering his ribcage, his nerves were screaming at him. They spun around again, Ash leaned her to the ground one last time. His mind was shouting at him. _Do it, now!_

_Its taken so long to get it right  
Could it be so wrong  
To maybe find someone  
A miracle..._

Misty's eyes sparkled, she was blushing slightly. Ash steeled himself, there eyes were still locked together.

"Ash..." Misty was frozen, her eyes were hypnotised by Ash's beautiful black ones. There faces came closer. Ash could smell the perfume she was wearing. He could feel her nervous breathing against his face. He wasn't backing out now, this was it. The moment he'd been waiting for.

_Is there a trace  
Inside her face  
Of a lonely miracle  
And so you wait  
And lie awake__  
For a lonely miracle..._

Ash closed his eyes. He gently pressed his lips against hers. Misty's eyes were wide open with surprise. Then she slowly closed them, enjoying the kiss.

Everyone around the room watching gasped. Brock couldn't believe what he was seeing, Meowth was dumbstruck. Daisy, Lily and Violet all stood with there hands pressed against their mouths.

_Is there a trace  
Inside her face__  
Of a lonely miracle  
And so you wait  
And lie awake  
For a lonely miracle..._

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that;)  
It was soo hard writing this chapter, I'm not much of a dancer myself, maybe somebody can give me a few pointers sometime, maybe?  
The song is brilliant though, my advice is, go download it and listen to it whilst reading the dance bit. You'll see how well the song goes with the dancing;)

xx David Shigure xx  
xxx

p.s: Chapter 4: The Cerulean Cape is already in progress, but i warn you, unless i get another 5 or 6 reviews at least, i'll be reluctant to upload it;) Buh-bye :)


	4. The Cerulean Cape

Well, well. Ladies, Gentlemen, I hereby present to you, after a freakin' month of waiting, Chapter 4: The Cerulean Cape! Please enjoy, please don't flame me for the delay .:dodges a tomato:. and I'll promise Chapter 5 will not take a month!

* * *

'Passion'

Chapter 4: The Cerulean Cape

Ash was happy. He was at the Cerulean City gym, floating in one of their swimming pools. He stared at the ceiling, lost in deep thought. He was thinking back to the performance a week ago.

"_Ash, can I ask you something?" Brock sounded serious.  
_"_Uhh sure, go ahead."  
"__How much do you like Misty?" Brock asked innocently.  
_"_Wha...What?" A tinge of red flared across Ash's face.  
_"_You couldn't take your eyes off her for the whole thing." Brock teased.  
_"_I...uhh...I dunno, I guess...I like her."  
_"_Heh, right, you more than just like her, don't cha?" Brock smiled evilly.  
_"_So what if I do? What's your point?." Ash pouted.  
_"_Well, I was thinking. You should ask her out!" Brock suggested.  
_"_What!? I couldn't do that, she'd say no!" Ash exclaimed wildly.  
_"_Oh yeah? How would you know? I've been watching you two for a while now, and it seems obvious to me that you both like each other." Brock said..._

Ash chuckled to himself._Was it really that obvious?_

"_Dance with me..." _A flashback of Misty asking him to dance forced it's way into his conciousness.

Ash remembered how nervous he'd been. But the dance had gone really well, one of Ash's favourite songs had been playing too.

"Its taken so long...to get it right...could it be so wrong...to maybe find someone...a miracle..." Ash was singing a part of the song. He remembered how beautiful Misty looked that night. Her eyes...

There was a loud splash. Ash jerked up, looking around to see where it had come from. The water had ripples coming from the end of the pool closest to him.

_Somebody jumped in..._

Suddenly, something grabbed him from behind. Ash struggled but it was hopeless. He was held in a powerful grip. The person holding him giggled. "Now I've got you right where I want you." It was Misty.

"M..Misty!" Ash kept struggling to get free. "Did I scare you?" she giggled again. "I heard you singing as I was sneaking in. You have a nice voice, y'know?" she smiled. Ash turned bright red. "I...didn't realise...hehe."

Ash still couldn't get loose, Misty was surprisingly strong. "And it was from 'Miracle', wasn't it?" It was Misty's turn to go red, she just realised why he was singing that song. She let go in surprise, Ash swam away gratefully.

"Ash..." Misty had a bright red tinge across her nose. Misty was staring at the water, thinking back to the previous week. She remembered how good Ash was at dancing, and how beautiful his eyes looked. Dark black, but filled with warmth.

She snapped out of her daydream and looked around the pool. Ash had disappeared. "Hey, where'd you go?" Misty looked around. She looked at the water and saw a shadow passing right next to her. "AHH!" She screamed as Ash grabbed her leg. He moved up, grabbing her arms and pinned them in a bear hug. "Gotcha." Ash sounded smug. "Did I scare you?" He mocked.

"Let me go!!" Misty struggled, but Ash was too strong for her. She hung limply in his arms, sighing in defeat. "Okay, you win." Ash was surprised, she never gave up without a fight.

"Do with me what you will, O Chosen One..." Misty smiled, the faint red tinge blushing across her face. "Huh?" Ash let go in his surprise.

Misty ducked underwater, grabbed Ash's legs and pulled him underwater.

_Heh, sucker..._ Misty smiled evilly underwater. Ash's face swam into view, completely confused. Her heart leapt. His face was inches from her own, his eyes staring deep into his own. For a moment, everything was still. They both stared at each other, underwater, basking in the glow from each others eyes.

Ash didn't break eye contact, he was about to get his revenge. His hands moved towards her waist, fingers outstretched.

_3,2,1...Now!_

He unleashed a wave of tickles on the defenceless girl. Misty gasped and swam to the surface, giggling. "Ash...no...please...this...is...cruel!" Ash's head broke above the surface and chuckled. "No way, make me."

She was struggling against his powerful grip, her nerves tingling as his fingers tickled her senseless. Laughter echoed around the room. Misty thought fast, trying to concentrate against Ash's merciless tickling.

_I'll make him stop, he'll never see it coming._

Misty struggled. She turned to face him, he was grinning, a big smile plastered across his face. Misty tried to look into his eyes through the tears of laughter flooding her eyes. The warm black colour stared back at her, completely unaware of her next move.

Ash smiled at her. She'd turned around to face him, her eyes filled with tears from laughing so hard. Her eyes traced his face, until they found his own eyes. Through the tears, Ash could see her beautiful, cerulean eyes. Their eyes locked, cerulean to jet-black.

Misty moved as quickly as she could, whilst Ash had lessened his grip on her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed the back of his head towards her. Whilst their eyes were locked, Misty pushed his face right up to hers, and kissed him, strongly, and passionately.

Ash let go immediately, his eyes wide open in surprise. She was relentless, the moment seemed to last forever.

And as quickly as it had began, it was over. Misty drew her lips away from Ash's, a bright red tinge streaked across her face. Ash's eyes were still wide open, his mind still trying to figure out what just happened. "Hehe..." Misty giggled softly. "That made you stop." She gave him a wink and giggled again.

A thought suddenly popped into Ash's head.

_You should ask her out!_

Brock's suggestion came floating back into his mind. Ash took his friends' advice, with out hesitation. He put his hands on Misty's shoulders. He looked straight into her beautiful cerulean eyes. "Misty?"

"Ash? What is it?" Misty's face suddenly turned redder than it had before. He pulled her close, hugging her tightly. "Will you go out with me?" His voice was soft, his eyes sparkled with the reflection of the water.

Misty was speechless. Her face had gone as red as a tomato, her mouth lay wide open. A million thoughts, a million questions were racing through her mind. Her mind was a blur. "Hey, are you okay? You look like your about to faint." Ash suddenly looked worried. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. It was like she had no vocal cords what so ever. "Misty?" Ash grabbed her shoulders. She felt dizzy, she was slightly overwhelmed.

"Misty!?"

She had fallen backwards. Her head felt faint.

_Ash..._

...

Night had fallen. The moon was out tonight, illuminating Cerulean City with a white, almost celestial aura.

Ash stared at it, thinking back to what had happened earlier. He was still at the Cerulean City gym. He had been chatting with Daisy, Lily and Violet and now they had gone to make him some herbal tea, they had said he looked tired. He continued staring out of a window, trying to figure out why she had passed out so suddenly.

_Maybe she was overwhelmed by it? Maybe I should've been more subtle..._

A million thoughts bombarded his mind, each one more worrying than the last. He suddenly felt extremely tired. His eyelids began to close, slowly drooping shut.

...

"Hey Ash! Your tea's ready." Daisy called out from the kitchen. There was no reply. "That's odd. I wonder if he's okay? Violet, go out and check him would you?"

Violet nodded and walked out of the kitchen. "He must be exhausted, he's been worrying over Misty all day." Lily looked thoughtful. "Yeah, you must be right." Daisy looked at the tea she had just made for him. "You reckon I should just keep this for him? If he's asleep, then he's not gonna drink it.

"Nah, you have it, you're looking a little tired yourself." Lily winked. She stood up. "I'm gonna go take a bath, later."

"Yeah, see ya." Daisy continued to look at the tea, staring within its depths.

_He's a good guy, Misty. Look after him..._

_..._

Hey, sleepyhead, you alright in here?" Violet walked into a large room. It could be called a living room, but the word didn't really do it justice. Two huge flat screen TV's dominated the walls. There was a long sofa, with plenty of cushions just opposite the TV's, with Ash sleeping on it. Violet sighed. "Oh Ash, Misty's pretty lucky to have a guy like you. You care so much about her."

She smiled and walked over to him. He was fast asleep, a strand of hair falling across his eyes.

_He's cute too..._

Before she realised it, her hand had risen and ruffled his hair, stroking it softly. She curled it between her slender fingers, marvelling at how soft it was.

_Probably from the water in the pool...but still, it feels like it's just been washed..._

She sighed again. He was so handsome, especially when he was asleep. She suddenly had a strong urge just to give him a little kiss. If it was only quick, and he didn't wake up, it would be alright.

She leaned in, being careful not to lean on him. She inched closer to his face, her heart beating faster and faster. She nudged his nose with her own, feeling his breathing against her lips. She leaned in closer, planting her lips on his. Her hand snaked up, ruffling through his thick hair yet again.

Their lips broke apart. She lifted her face slowly from his, smiling sadly as she rubbed her nose softly against his, for the last time. "Thank you, Ash..." She whispered softly.

She stood up, lifted his jacket and placed it around him, keeping him warm. She turned around and started to walk to the kitchen. Her step faltered as she turned her head to look at him one last time. She giggled quietly.

_Misty would kill me if she knew what just happened...ahh, well. It's no fair that she gets him all to herself...she needs to show him that she loves him, more than whatever she's doing now..._

_..._

The sun had risen. A thin ray of light poked through the living room curtains. The light fell upon Ash's face, still lying on the couch from the day before. He was softly snoring, his chest rising slowly up and down. The light began to irritate him, he groaned and tried to pull his jacket over his head.

Suddenly, the curtains were ripped open, sunlight poring into the room. "Morning Ash!" Violet's voice pierced through Ash's slightly confused mind. "Wha...where?" Ash grumbled. "Your at the Cerulean City Gym with me! The beautiful Violet Waterflower!" She smiled at him. "You certainly look stunning this morning, Violet." Ash smiled with one eye open, scratching his head.

Violet's face blushed slightly. "Oh Ash, you little charmer. What would Misty say?" It was strange. As soon as she had said it, she felt a little sad.

"Misty! How is she?" Ash was suddenly wide awake, his eyes filled with worry. "She's fine, sleeping like a baby. Whatever you two got up to yesterday completely drained her of energy. I'm going to go wake her up, you stay down here and I'll bring you some breakfast." And with that, she twirled around and left the room, humming to herself. She closed the door slowly and leaned against it.

_Oh Ash..._

_..._

A heavenly smell lingered in the air. It wafted slowly around the gym, infiltrating each and every single crack. It slowly drifted upstairs, making its way towards the bedrooms. Misty's door lay ajar, with its owner spread across her bed, a smile of ecstasy spread across her face. The scent drifted in, diving into Misty's nose. "Mm mm..." She murmured. She sniffed the air hungrily. "...Food..."

She opened an eye, slowly. Squinting in the darkness of the room, she tried to make out the room she was in. "Where am I?" She yawned. She pushed herself up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "And what's cooking? It smells great!"

She slowly pulled the duvet off, leaving only her blue vest top and white undies visible. She stretched and yawned again, leaving one eye open. Opening her door, she walked out of her room, following the scent of food. Down the hallway towards the stairs. With her nose held up high, inhaling the beautiful smell, she walked down the stairs. Walking past the shut living room door, over to the kitchen door. The source of the smell came from behind it. She clasped the handle firmly, pulling it down and pushing the door open.

Violet and Daisy were in the kitchen, cooking breakfast and chatting merrily. They had their backs turned to the door. "Hey Violet, grab me some plates out of the cupboard." Daisy asked. "Sure thing." Violet turned around towards the plates and caught sight of Misty standing in the doorway. She gasped. "Uhh...morning Misty."

"Morning Violet, What's cooking?" Misty replied blearily. "It's rice, bacon and scrambled egg." Daisy interrupted, turning on her heel to get a look at Misty. "Oh my..."

"What is it?" Misty looked down at her vest top hanging off one shoulder. "Uhh...nothing, nothing at all. Hey Misty, Don't go into the living room for a while, okay?" Daisy had a worried look on her face. "Why, what's in there?" Misty looked suspiciously at them.

"N...nothing, umm...Lily, accidentally broke a...plate, while she was watching TV earlier, while she was eating her breakfast, so there's still fragments of the plate in there, and you might cut your feet." Violet spoke in a rushed voice. "Oh okay then." Misty was satisfied. Violet and Daisy both sighed with relief.

_That, could've been awkward...although I bet he wouldn't have complained..._

"Oh yeah, do you two know where Ash is?" Misty asked innocently. The two girls froze. "Umm, Ash?" Violet had a strained voice this time. "I think he's at home, he left here last night about seven, he was worried about you." It was Daisy's turn to save the moment.

"Worried about me? What happened exactly?" Misty had her own worried look as she remembered the incident the day before. "Ash said that you two were messing around in the pool, and then all of a sudden you just passed out." Daisy looked thoughtful. Now that she thought about it, she still wasn't sure as to what had happened the day before. "Yeah, do you remember anything, Misty?" Violet gave her a quizzical look.

"Umm, yeah..." Misty suddenly blushed furiously. "Ooh la la, look at her, she's as red as a beetroot!" Violet giggled. Misty turned away, embarrassed. "Go on Misty, we're your sisters, you can tell us anything." Daisy smiled. Misty was silent for a long time. She was thinking it over in her head. "He...umm..." Misty faltered. She still couldn't believe it. "What? He what? I can't stand the tension in here!!" Violet giggled again. "Give her a chance Violet, jeez." Daisy's smile had grown bigger. Misty could feel her heart pounding. Memories of the day before resounded in her head.

_Will you go out with me?_

She couldn't believe he had finally come out and said it. The six words she had wanted, needed to hear for so long.

"He...He asked me if I wanted to go out with him!"

...

Ash was wide awake, still lying on the couch. His stomach rumbled, he rubbed it fervently. "I need food!" Ash moaned. He sat up on the couch, stretching his arms.

_Maybe I'll go check in the kitchen, ask her how much longer breakfast will be..._

Ash stood up, letting his jacket fall to the floor. His jeans were still on, he had slept through the night with them on, along with the black shirt he always wore. He opened the living room door and walked out.

_Where's the kitchen again?_

Ash decided to follow the smell. It led to a door just down the hall, which was slightly ajar. He could hear Violet's voice chatting to somebody. He walked up to the door and was just about to push it open, when a voice called him. "Hey, morning Ash!" It was Lily, she had sneaked up behind him, grabbing his shoulders. "Morning Lily. Your looking good this morning." Ash smiled at her. Her magenta hair was a little frizzy this morning, she probably hadn't had time to brush it yet. "Aww thanks Ash, your a little sweetie y'know?" Lily playfully thumped his shoulder. "Hehe, thanks." He smiled at her. "Hey, do you know where Misty is?"

"She should be in there, eating." Lily pointed to the kitchen door. "Thanks." Ash slowly pushed the door open.

...

Misty turned around to face the door. She heard somebody come in, and was surprised. A familiar mess of jet-black hair, the beautiful chestnut eyes, it was Ash, looking as though he'd been hypnotised. "M-morning..." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Ash!" Misty jumped out of her chair and hugged him. "H-hey!" Ash sounded surprised. "Ash, i'm so sorry about yesterday! I guess I just got a little excited, I mean, I never expected you to come out like that and say it!" Misty said rapidly. "Hey, its okay." Ash smiled at her. "Couldn't you have been more subtle about it?" Violet giggled across the room.

_My sentiments exactly..._ the irony of the situation was not lost on him.

"Well, I guess you two are hungry. Breakfast will be ready in five minutes." Daisy winked at him. "And, uhh, Misty? You might want to find some trousers or something. I don't think Ash can get any redder." Violet giggled, indicating Ash's sudden feverish temperament.

"Oh..." Misty suddenly felt extremely exposed and felt the heat rise in her face. Ash winked at her. "Hey, I don't mind." She whacked him across the arm. "You pervert!" The room erupted into laughter. Misty stomped upstairs angrily.

...

"So Ash, where do you plan on taking her?" Violet broke the ice. "W-what?" Ash choked on his cappuccino. A line of foam gave him a milky moustache. Violet giggled. "She told us the whole thing, even the bits you conveniently left out in your explanation yesterday."

"Ahh, right..." Ash smiled weakly. "I don't know yet, I was thinking maybe the Cerulean Cape?"

Daisy and Violet gasped. The kitchen door opened and Lily stuck her head in. "Did I hear somebody say the Cerulean Cape?"

Ash was confused. "Yeah, why?" Lily looked at him, staring straight into his eyes. "There's a legend. The Legend of the Cerulean Cape."

"The legend says: Two hearts that aspire for true love, shall travel along the shadow of Cerulean." Violet spoke melodramatically. "The stars of twilight, illuminated by the dying light of sunset, shall bless those who declare their love under the heavens, with eternal happiness."

Everybody looked at Violet. "Violet, you really need to get a guy, y'know?" Lily sighed. "Hey!" Violet replied indignantly. "Back to the matter at hand, ladies." Daisy sounded serious. "Ash, have you ever been to the Cerulean Cape before?"

"Yeah, not too long ago. Bill lives there, so I visit him sometimes. Why?" Ash sounded extremely confused.

"Misty doesn't know your taking her to the Cape yet. You know that lake not far from Bill's house in the Cape? Take her there, and sit by one of the tree's that hang over the lake. And then when twilight hits, declare your love for her." Daisy finished simply. "Wow, she won't know what hit her..." Violet stared at him dreamily.

"Ooh, is somebody jealous?" Lily teased. "W-what?" Violet's face took on a magenta hue. Lily giggled to herself.

"So what time will you take her then, Ash?" Daisy asked. "What, today!?" Ash still couldn't quite figure out the situation, especially this early in the morning. "Yes, today. Now that we know what to do, it has to be today. And it's a full moon tonight as well. After twilight, the moon will 'illuminate' whatever else you love birds get up to." Daisy winked at him. Ash spluttered indignantly. "Like what?"

"Oh I dunno, that's up to you." She giggled. "We'll make it about seven. That way, you'll have time to get there, do your thing, and come back home at a decent hour...or at least sometime before the crack of dawn."

...

Misty huffed moodily as she hunted for her clothes. Having older siblings was a royal pain. They always knew how to wind you up, without even trying. But on the other hand, she was notorious for having a fiery temper, and jumping to quick conclusions. Maybe she was overreacting.

_And besides, I've got other things to worry about..._

A date with Ash. She had dreamed of a date with Ash a million times throughout the time they shared together. This was a big step for her, the first date with the one she loved could lead anywhere with him.

She found her tank top and shorts and pulled them on. Walking over to her dressing table, she grabbed a brush and tried taming her hair, pulling it into her trademark sideways ponytail. After she had finished getting ready, she leaned on her dressing table and stared into the mirror. Cerulean blue eyes sparkled back at her, lost in deep thought.

...

The door of the kitchen opened. Ash turned his head round, his mouth full of rice. Misty walked in, sitting beside him. He swallowed nervously. Daisy, Lily and Violet all giggled across the table from him. "What's so funny?" Misty looked at them, a fire blazing in her eyes. "Has he told you where he's taking you yet?" Lily grinned mischievously. "Uhh, not yet. Which, while we're on the subject, reminds me. Where are we going out, Ash?" Misty turned around to face him. He looked her dead in the eye, steeling himself. "I'll tell you where, as long as you promise not to faint on me, okay?" He teased. She whacked him across the arm. "I promise I won't, and that was your fault anyway." She winked at him. Ash opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it.

"_No matter what the girl says in an argument, the guy is always wrong."_

A little piece of Brock's advice on woman came floating back to him. It's timing couldn't have been better.

"The Cerulean Cape." Ash said. As soon as he had said it, he was sure she was going to pass out again. Her face plunged into a deep shade of scarlet, her eyes becoming unfocused. She grabbed the jug of water on the table, drinking the whole thing in one. "Whoa , steady on girl!" Lily almost cried with laughter.

She placed the jug back on the table steadily. "Misty?" Ash sounded worried. He stood up, grabbing her by the shoulders. "You okay?"

She slowly looked up, her eyes tracing his face until they met with his eyes. Suddenly, she leaped off her chair, draping her arms around his neck. "Woah!" Ash fell down backwards onto the carpeted kitchen floor. "The Cerulean Cape!? That's like, the most romantic spot in Kanto!" Misty was breathless, her head buried into his chest.

"Like, did anyone see that coming?" Lily asked.

...

_Cerulean City, Friday 22nd July, 6.50pm_

Ash stood at the Cerulean City gym door, waiting. He was dressed in a black jacket with the zip lowered slightly, revealing his trademark black shirt. He wore a fresh pair of jeans and had left his hat at home.

A soft breeze circled around him, ruffling his hair tenderly. He looked at his watch tentatively.

_Five to seven..._

Ash was nervous. Forget saving this world, this was the scariest thing he'd ever done in his entire life. It was their first date.

The door of the gym opened. Ash looked up. Violet was standing there, looking him over. "Hey, Violet." He smiled nervously. "Ooh, you're looking good, Ash." Violet winked at him.

He chuckled, his nerves straining his voice. "You sound nervous, Ash." Violet smiled softly. "Don't worry, everything will go smoothly."

Ash could hear a commotion going on upstairs. "Oh jeez, what are those girls doing?" Violet looked at the ceiling apprehensively. "Ash, you'd better come in, i'll go see what they're up to."

He nodded, walking into the warm air of the gym. He could smell chlorine in the air, coming from the swimming pools. He loved that smell, it made him want to jump in and swim a few lengths to undo the knot in his stomach.

He sat in the kitchen, thinking about the night ahead.

...

"Hey, Misty! What's going on up here?" Violet pushed through Misty's bedroom door. "Oh my god..."

Misty's room was a mess. What seemed like her entire wardrobe was flung out onto the bed. Misty stood in the middle of the room, dressed in a pink hooded jacket with a blue shirt on underneath, along with her denim shorts.

"Umm, yeah...it took us a while, but she's ready." Daisy held her head, shaking it slowly. "It looks as though a dragon rage swept through here." Lily came in behind Violet. "Tell me about it..." Violet was still looking around the room in awe. "Oh right, Misty? He's waiting for you, downstairs."

"Right..." Misty sounded nervous. "Make it a night you'll never forget." Lily winked at her. "But don't go consummating it tonight, okay?" Violet smiled at her. "H-hey!" Misty said indignantly. "Go, already! He's as nervous as you are." Lily urged her. "Alright, alright. I'm going." Misty smiled. She walked up to each of her sisters and hugged them all. "Thanks."

...

Ash paced around the kitchen. He looked at his watch again. It was five past seven. He looked out of the window. The sun had begun to set.

The kitchen door opened slowly. He spun around. Misty walked in, smiling at him awkwardly. "Hey, Ash."

"Hey." Ash could tell she was as nervous as he was. He walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go."

They walked out of the gym, waving goodbye to Daisy, Lily and Violet. They all waved back. "Don't stay out too late, I assume you two wanna eat when you get back?" Daisy shouted. "I'm sure food is the last thing on their minds...for once." Violet shook her head. "Yeah...this is their big night. Our little sister is growing up..." Lily sounded sad as she closed the door to the gym.

The couple began to walk north, towards Cerulean bridge. A cool breeze washed over them. Misty hugged Ash tighter, leaning her head against his chest. Ash looked down at her, at her soft red hair. He smiled softly.

"_Well, I was thinking. You should ask her out!" Brock suggested. _

"_What!? I couldn't do that, she'd say no!" Ash exclaimed wildly. _

"_Oh yeah? How would you know? I've been watching you two for a while now, and it seems obvious to me that you both like each other." Brock said..._

The flashback popped into his head.

_I thought that she would've said no. And a week later, now look! We're on our first date..._

They walked onto the bridge, it was illuminated with a dying red colour, the sun had almost set. Walking across it, he could hear the sound of the river flowing underneath him. The crystal tinkling of water rushing down the stream.

"Hey Ash, I've just realised. Where's Pikachu been all this time?" Misty suddenly piped up, a thoughtful expression on her face. "He stayed behind with Mom, he's been helping her with something big, like, a surprise or something. He said to me that it was special and it would take a little while. It's been weird, not having him around. I feel like I've lost a limb." Ash chuckled, scratching the back of his head. Misty giggled. "Yeah, I thought you've been looking a little lost recently."

"Have not! I've just been worried, that's all." Ash said defensively. "Oh really, what about?" Misty looked at him inquisitively. "Well, there's this girl. A really special girl y'know? She's cute and funny. She's looked after me through some tough times. And she has a really fiery temper." Ash smiled at her, trying not to laugh at the indignant look on her face.

"But she means the world to me, and if anything happened to her, I don't know what I'd do..." Ash hugged her even tighter. "Should I be jealous?" Misty smiled slyly. "Maybe..." Ash smiled.

She grinned at him. "Ooh Ash, what am I gonna do with you?" He stared at the sky, grinning at the rose-coloured clouds. "Love me, feed me, never leave me."

He looked back at her, deep into her soft cerulean eyes. "I'll never leave you. Even in death, Ash Ketchum." Misty said softly, planting a kiss on his lips, before burying her head into his chest again.

They walked on, crossing the bridge. Misty caught sight of the lake first. She sighed. "It's so beautiful. I've never seen the lake look this good." Ash nodded in agreement. They walked around until Ash found the tree that Daisy had told him about. It hung over the lake at an angle. A Sakura tree. The tree of cherry blossoms.

Ash sat down next to it, in a flat patch of grass and laid on his back. Misty did the same, and stared at the sky. "Hey, what time does twilight begin?" She asked. "About seven thirty." He replied. "And what time is it now?" She sounded excited. "Twenty past." Ash smiled at her. She rolled onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't wait, ten minutes is too long." Ash wrapped his arms around her back. "It won't be long now. And while we wait, I can tell you how beautiful you look." He smiled at her. A song began to play in his mind.

_When moonlight crawls along the street__  
Chasing away the summer heat  
Footsteps outside, somewhere below  
The world revolves I let it go_

_We build our church above this street  
We practice love between these sheets  
The candy sweetness scent of you  
It bathes my skin, I'm stained near you_

_And all I have to do is hold you  
There's a racing within my heart  
I am barely touching you_

Ash began to hum it's tune. Misty giggled. She knew this song too. 'Insatiable' by Darren Hayes.

_Turn the lights down low  
Take it off  
Let me show  
My love for you  
Insatiable  
Turn me on  
Never stop  
Wanna taste every drop  
My love for you  
Insatiable_

"Hey, Misty?"

"Yeah?"

"Take a look." Ash pointed towards the sky. Misty turned her head towards the sky. She gasped. Stars had begun to sparkle. She turned back to face Ash, the stars reflected in his chestnut eyes. She leaned in closer, breathing rapidly as her heart accelerated. Her eyes slowly closed as their lips met.

_The moonlight plays upon your skin  
A kiss that lingers takes me in  
I fall asleep inside of you  
There are no words__  
There's only truth  
Breathe in, Breathe out  
There is no sound  
We move together up and down__  
We levitate, our bodies soar  
Our feet don't even touch the floor  
And nobody knows you like I do__  
The world doesn't understand  
But I grow stronger in your hands_

She ruffled his messy hair with her free hand. Their lips were locked in a passionate struggle, their noses nudging each other. Ash's hand reached up her back, slowly tracing her spine, stroking it slowly. His touch felt heavenly, even the softest touch sent her body into an ecstasy of pleasure.

_Turn the lights down low  
Take it off  
Let me show  
My love for you  
Insatiable  
Turn me on_

_Never stop  
Wanna taste every drop  
My love for you  
Insatiable_

Their lips parted momentarily, she took in deep breaths as she opened her eyes.

She looked deep into his chestnut eyes. "Ash...tell me...tell me that you love me."

He stroked her cheek gently, slowly leaning in to give her a soft kiss. "I love you."

Moonlight spilled over the couple, Misty's slim figure was silhouetted against the moon's light reflecting off the water.

_Turn the lights down low  
Take it off  
Let me show  
My love for you  
Insatiable  
Turn me on__  
Never stop  
Wanna taste every drop  
My love for you  
Insatiable_

_  
We never sleep we're always holdin' hands__  
Kissin' for hours talkin', makin' plans  
I feel like a better man  
Just being in the same room_

_We never sleep there's just so much to do  
Too much to say__Can't close my eyes when I'm in love with you  
Insatiable, the way I'm loving you _

"Twilight..." Misty whispered. "Twilight..." Ash echoed. They both leaned in for another kiss, Ash pulling her closer to his chest.

_Turn the lights down low  
Take it off  
Let me show  
My love for you  
Insatiable  
Turn me on__  
Never stop  
Wanna taste every drop  
My love for you  
Insatiable_

_..._

_Two hearts that aspire for true love, shall travel along the shadow of Cerulean. The stars of twilight, illuminated by the dying light of sunset, shall bless those who declare their love under the heavens, with eternal happiness._

...

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it. :) This fic is becoming more and more like a songfic, even though that wasn't what I intentionally set out to do. But anyways, please review! Reviews are like, the best motivation a writer can get. The more reviews, the quicker Chapter 5 will be out.

Next Chapter: A mysterious girl, Team Rocket and Escape from Vermilion City! Ash is in trouble!

For the next few chapters I may be splitting them into parts, because it takes ages to write a full chapter. Either that or i'll make the chapters themselves shorter. That way, you guys get more and more chapters frequently.


	5. Enter May! Affections Touch Across Time

Welcome to chapter 5 of Passion!  
I know it's been a long time coming, but it's here!! Finally!!

And I must apologize, to those who have been waiting for what seems like forever...  
Very recently, Life has been taking a very distracting course. Exams, School plays, angry history teachers, broken headphones and girls are just a few things that have been  
stopping me from writing more. Believe me, I kept wishing that I could throughout the period. But on the positive side, the lapse has given my a lot of ideas to put into the story. :)  
and finally, I wish for Rossmonster a.k.a one of my best friends to get well soon. This and the rest of the chapters in this story will be dedicated to her. For being a friend who's always there to turn to, when everybody else seems to have faded away...

* * *

'Passion'

Chapter 5: Enter May! Affections touch across time...

Ash walked slowly. Pikachu followed behind, eating a berry. They were walking through a forest, the trees silhouetted under the moonlight. He looked at his watch. It had just past seven. He sighed. "It's gonna be another hour till we get home." He pulled out his map. "At least, it will be if we don't get lost. Let's see... We came out of Mt. Moon around about four. So we've been walking for at least three hours." He put the map away, pulling out an apple in its place. "I'm glad we went to visit Oak though. It's been a while since we saw him." Pikachu looked up, nodding in agreement. "Pika pi."

They carried on, Ash crunching his apple, Pikachu finishing off its berry. "Pika!" The yellow Pokémon scurried away, it had seen something. "Hey, wait!" Ash took off after the electric Pokémon. Pikachu stopped before a large tree. Its trunk had been burnt, charred black. It looked like the work of some ferocious fire Pokémon. "Hey, its okay, Pikachu. Probably just some grumpy Growlithe or something." He chuckled softly. Pikachu completely ignored him, sniffing the surrounding area. Something had him intrigued. He scurried on a little further. His nose touched a leaf. He opened his eyes. The leaf had a drop of some crimson substance. "Pika Pi!"

Ash crouched down, picking it up. "Hmm..." He stood up, looking around. "Blood..." His eyes found more leaves with spots of blood on them. "Maybe somebody just had an accident or something?" He murmured to himself. He looked around, following the trail of disturbed leaves, with an occasional drop of blood. After a minute of tracking the trail, it disappeared. He looked around, searching. "I guess it ends here..." Pikachu nodded, climbing onto his shoulder. "Pi."

A roar erupted somewhere in the distance. Distant echoes of men shouting. Followed by the sound of a girl screaming. Ash started running towards the sound. There was an explosion. He actually saw its light illuminate the trees. After a minute of furious sprinting, he stopped. Running towards him was a girl, followed by a group of men, each with a Pokémon at their feet. "Help!!" The girl screamed at him. The voice was oddly familiar. Ash grabbed three Poké balls from his belt. "Charizard. Wartortle. Pidgeot. Go!!"

Three explosion of pure white light. Three heavy set Pokémon stood before him, looking determined. "Pidgeot, attack the men head on. Charizard and Wartortle, go for the Pokémon. Pikachu and I will worry about the girl." The three Pokémon all nodded, moving to attack. Ash ran towards the girl. As he came closer, he noticed a gash across her cheek, a rip in the clothes covering her torso, completely covered in blood. The girl fell into his arms, shaking uncontrollably. "You're going to be alright." Ash held the girl close. "Pika!" Pikachu pointed towards the battle. Pidgeot, his magnificent bird Pokémon, bravely swooped and dived, forcing the men to cover their eyes. Charizard and Wartortle unleashed wave after wave of fire and water attacks, simultaneously burning and soaking their opponents.

"Keep it up!" Ash commanded his Pokémon. He looked down at the girl in his arms. "Hey." The girl looked up. "You okay?" The girl shook her head. She was holding her abdomen. A roar came from the battle. Ash looked up. The men were running away, fleeing. He smiled. "Well done. I knew you guys could do it." His Pokémon nodded. He turned back to the girl. "Alright, now let's see what we can do here." He indicated to her abdomen, where the bleeding seemed to be at its worst. "Can I take a look at that?" The girl hesitated, and then slowly removed her hand, wincing in pain. "Pika Pi!!" The mouse Pokémon gasped in surprise. The wound was bad. It looked like she had been slashed viciously.

"Okay. I've got some medical supplies with me. Let's see if we can get you patched up." Ash began to unzip his rucksack. He pulled out a roll of bandage, a bottle of disinfectant and several sterile cleaning cloths. "Wartortle, hold this for me." He handed the water Pokémon the bottle. "Pikachu, hold this." He handed over the roll of bandage. "Okay. I'm going to have to clean the wound first. Clean up the blood and then apply the disinfectant. Could you pull up your top just a bit?" The girl smiled nervously, and then complied. He got to work, cleaning away the blood with a cloth. There was quite a bit.

Next, he dabbed some disinfectant onto another cloth, slowly wiping it over the wound. She flinched and moaned in pain. "It's okay. It's almost over." Ash murmured soothingly. Finally, he wrapped the bandage around her hips, making sure it was firm, but not too tight. "There. It's all over." He smiled. "So, what's your name?"

The girl laughed nervously. In a shivering voice, she spoke. "You already know my name, Ash Ketchum." Ash was dumbstruck. He looked long and hard at her eyes. Hazel stared back at him. Blood and dirt covered her face, with the gash across her cheek concealing her identity. With his hand, he wiped away some of the blood. He knew who it was, without a shadow of doubt. He had only seen her last year, last summer, at the Hoenn contest quarter finals.

"May?"

She smiled at him. "Well done. Took you long enough." The surrounding area was lit by the flames of battle. Charizard's fire attacks had ignited some of the dead branches on the ground. Both trainers' faces were illuminated by the flames, casting shadows across their faces. Ash noted how much older, more mature she had become. She was no longer the ten year old girl he had met, five years ago. "How are you feeling?" He asked softly. He thought that she'd be exhausted after the battle and from loss of blood. "Tired. And a little cold." Her voice sounded weak. "You reckon you can walk? It's only a little further to Cerulean. Then we can get you properly treated." She nodded. "Don't worry about me, I'll be okay."

Helping her up onto her feet, Ash put her arm around his shoulder. Pikachu and the other Pokémon walked alongside him. "So why did those guys attack you?" He asked. "Didn't you see who they were?" May sounded surprised. He shook his head. "It was Team Rocket. They were planning a huge operation, some kind of raid." Ash stopped. "A raid?" She nodded. "Yeah, some kind of attack. I managed to eavesdrop on some of their plans, but one of the guards spotted me. They came after me, attacking me." He stood still, thinking. "Only a few miles west from Cerulean…" May suddenly gasped. "You don't think?"

Realisation hit him like a brick. They were going to attack Cerulean.

He opened his rucksack, digging around for his phone. He pulled it out, flipping it open. "I'm going to warn them." After waiting a minute listening to the dialling tone, he got his house's answer phone message.

_Hello, you have reached the Ketchum residence. We cannot reach the phone right now, please try again later…_

"Crap, nobody at my place…" Ash cursed. He opened up the phone book on his phone. He scrolled through the names, thinking about who he should call. He kept scrolling down, until a name caught his eye.

_Misty_

He instantly pressed the call button. The dialling tone kept beeping in his ear until finally the phone was picked up. "Ash! Is that you?" Misty sounded worried. "Yeah, it's me. Listen, I've got to tell you something…" Ash was cut off by a loud explosion on the other end. "What the hell was that?"

"It's Team Rocket. They've attacked the city. About half an hour ago, we heard explosions and men shouting. Then all of a sudden the city's up to her neck in a siege. Where are you?" She sounded worried. Ash was silent. He was too late, the attack had begun. "I'm on the outskirts of Cerulean. Another fifteen minutes and I'll be there."

"Hurry! I don't think the city's gonna hold out without you here." She began to sound desperate." Ash smiled to himself. "Don't worry. Cerulean's not going down without a fight." He clicked the phone off. He turned towards May and the other Pokémon. "Okay people. There's a battle to be fought. But, it's not as simple as just fighting it. We need to be clever about this. I assume Misty's doing what she can from the gym. I know a few other trainers who will be guarding the city, but that won't be enough." He looked at May. "Will you be able to fight?"

She nodded grimly. "I feel better. And I can move around. I'll be fine." Ash smiled at her. "Good, we're going to need all the help we can get. Now let's run." Ash returned all his Pokémon minus Pikachu into their poke balls. He began to run towards Cerulean, not stopping once to catch his breath.

…

Several loud explosions lit up the gym's exterior. Four girls stood in a circle, their backs to each other. "We're surrounded." Lily muttered. Seven Rocket grunts stood facing them. "It's time to give up, ladies. Why don't you just surrender?" The one facing Lily gloated. "We just want to have some fun." The one standing next to him spoke malevolently. "I bet you do." Daisy stood next to Lily. She sounded disgusted. Violet grabbed two spherical balls from her belt. "Looks like we have no choice. Starmie, Dewgong. Go!!" Two pure white flashes of light appeared. A Pokémon in the shape of a starfish appeared, sighing. Another appeared next to it, looking like a giant sea lion. "Starmie, bubble beam. Dewgong, Hyper beam!" The two Pokémon cried in acknowledgement. A stream of bubbles flew from the tip of Starmie, exploding upon impact with the Rockets. A huge beam of pure white light exploded from Dewgong's mouth. It sent four of the Rockets flying. The smoke disappeared. "Well done Violet." Misty clapped for her big sister.

"Thank you, Misty." Violet smiled. The smile faded as she looked over the city. "Why is this happening?" Misty turned her eyes over the sprawling city. "I'm not sure." She muttered. "But they have no right to do this. We have to get rid of them, kick them out of Cerulean for good." Lily and Violet nodded in agreement. Daisy sighed. "But it won't be as simple as that. The amount of trainers, rangers and police in the city don't even compare to the sheer number of Rockets there are. We're completely overrun…"

Misty clenched her fists. Her eyes blazed with fury. "Damn them." She turned to her older sisters. "For the moment, we can't do anything anyway. I say we stay here and protect the gym until Ash arrives. We can use the gym as a safe house for the injured." Her three sisters murmured in agreement. Misty turned back to the city. A dark black cloud, illuminated red by the fires of siege, hovered over the city. A light drizzle began to shower over them. "Where are you, Ash?" she murmured.

…

Back in Pallet Town, Professor Oak was finishing off his cup of tea, when the phone rang. He stood up and walked over to the videophone, which was shrieking loudly. "Hello, this is the Oak Research Laboratory, how may I…" The Professor was cut off by a loud explosion at the end of the phone. "Professor!! This is the Chief of Police, Cerulean City HQ. A number of Rocket squads have infiltrated the city and have engaged the police and several trainers across town." The male voice at the other end of the phone was infused with static, the video occasionally distorting. Oak stared at the male officer. "This is getting out of hand… The Kantonian government needs to sort out the Rockets." The officer nodded in agreement. "Yes, they do. But right now we need some serious backup to get rid of these guys. We're requesting that the Elite Four and the Champion assist us." The Professor just stared at the man. "Do you know how hard it is to get them to do anything... Alright, I'll see what I can do."

The man nodded. "Thanks, Professor. At the moment we have a few trainers, the Cerulean City gym leader and her sisters holding out and providing the gym as a safe house. We have reports that Ash may be returning back to Cerulean shortly, according to Misty."

Oak smiled back. "Well done, Lieutenant. Good luck out there." The video link was cut off. Oak paused to think. "I have an idea..." He muttered. Facing the ceiling he opened his mouth and yelled. "Gary!!" His grandson yelled back. "What is it gramps, I'm a little busy..."

Oak sighed. "Well, whatever your busy with can't be important as another city being destroyed. Get down here." He stared at the ceiling.

_What could he be doing? He better not have a girl up there..._

A few minutes later, his grandson walked into the lab, his facial expression illuminated a deadly seriousness. "What is it?"

Oak placed his hands in his pocket. "Cerulean City is under attack from the Rockets. I want you to fly there and provide backup for the Cerulean City gym leader and the trainers resisting the attack." Gary smiled. "Misty in trouble eh? Oh sure, I'll save the damsel in distress. I'm sure she'll be thankful." His eyes glinted maliciously. Oak coughed. "Since when did you get to become such a womaniser?"

Gary laughed. "Oh, back in the old days, constantly charming every girl I met on the way around the world. There's this one time about this blond I met in Vermilion..." He was cut short by Oak clearing his throat loudly. "That's great, but Cerulean's not gonna sit tight and wait whilst your nattering on. Get going!" Gary pulled a face and walked towards the door. "And be careful." Oak added as an afterthought. "I will. Smell ya later, Gramps." Gary pushed the doors open and walked into the night. "Some things don't change with time." Oak muttered.

...

They had reached the Cerulean City entrance. May limped slowly, her arm around Ash's neck. "Almost there." She smiled weakly. "You must be exhausted." Ash said softly. He looked at where her hand was still covering her wound. Blood seeped from it. "That's starting to look worse. We'd better get you to a doctor."

May smiled at him. "You never stop worrying about others. Not for a second." She moved her hand. The stain on her jacket had spread. The crimson liquid had begun to stain her mini-skirt. "Wow, that's something to write home about…" She trailed off weakly. She looked up, catching the worried look in Ash's eyes. "We should get going, Ash." She said softly. He nodded. "Are you sure your gonna be okay?" She giggled softly. "Will you stop worrying? I'll be fine, it's just a scratch." She walked on a few steps, before stumbling onto a tree, her face screwed up in pain. "It's just a little bit more than a scratch. I'll help you walk towards the Gym." Ash said determinedly.

She put her arm around his neck again. Her cheek brushed past his. She felt the warmth from his face. Her eyes met with Ash's. Her heart raced. She just couldn't turn away, it was as though he had hypnotised her. A strange sensation began from the pit of her stomach, fluttering around her body. "Um…Ash?" His eyes had a look that spoke of years of battling, years of friendship. There were also years of sorrow, and agony. It was as though he had lost a part of the knuckle headed, hyperactive child that she had come to befriend so long ago. It was a sign that he had matured far beyond his age. "What is it?" His voice was so soft; it was barely above a whisper.

"Thanks…" Her voice sounded muffled. She looked down towards her trainers. She couldn't sustain the courage it took to look deep into his eyes. "For… everything."

Ash reached out a hand, cupping her cheek in it. "Hey, it's okay. I'll look after you, no matter what happens." She looked up at him again. His eyes were soft, and determined. Without thinking, she leaned in and kissed him. It was a soft, gentle kiss, which lasted for a moment. "That's for saving me." She winked at him. He smiled. "Maybe next time you'll save me, then I'll owe you a kiss."

Her eyes sparkled. "Maybe."

Suddenly, a huge explosion rocked the air. Shock waves raced through the surrounding area, ripping the stillness of the atmosphere to shreds. Ash held onto May, protecting her. She screamed as the waves battered them. Pikachu barely held onto to Ash's shoulder, he was also yelling in a high pitched squeak. "Pika Pi!!"  
After the explosion had subsided, the three of them looked towards the city. They were hidden in the trees, on a hill overlooking the city. They could see a lot of battles. A small number of trainers had been beaten. They were rounded up, and were being taken to small camps the Rocket's had constructed.

A burst of anger ripped through Ash's heart. Watching the Rocket's take the city he had lived in was building up a rage inside of him. He began walking towards the city, slowly picking up the pace, until he was running. "Ash!" May called after him. But her voice was lost on him. He could think of nothing, but of destroying the Rockets in his town.

His city.

May ran after him, clutching the wound on her side. "Ash!! I can't... run..." She whimpered. A tear fell, running silently down her face. "I can't run... Can't keep up, with you..." The pain in her side had grown immensely. It hurt to breathe. The tears intensified. She collapsed to the ground, holding on to a nearby tree. She closed her eyes. "Ash, where are you?" She said around her sobs.

"I'm right here. Come on." His voice was behind her. She felt him lift her up and into his arms. "It's just a little further. I'll carry you the rest of the way." And without another word, he began to run towards Cerulean.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter from Passion. It took a while, and this will continue into a kind of arc i guess. Please review!


	6. Old Enemies

It's been a long time. Sorry, my fans and followers, a lot has happened and its taken a long time to get used to everything. But here it is, Passion Chapter 6 ^^  
I'll try not to be this late again with a chapter. Also, thanks to my faithful reviewers. They always make me happy, no matter how bad life gets.

* * *

'Passion'

Chapter 6: Twilight Reminiscence.

Three loud explosions erupted outside the gym. The gym doors buckled under the pressure, but they held fast. There was a small crowd of people inside the gym. Many were injured civilians. There was a group of nurses who had brought medical equipment with them from the Pokémon Center, busily treating as many of the injured as they could. "How much longer will the doors hold out?" Nurse Joy yelled. "We don't know. These doors were designed to withstand a moderate amount of pressure from incoming Pokémon attacks. They should last for a while, providing the Rockets don't use anything crazy like a Groudon." Misty yelled from the back of the gym. The four Cerulean Sisters were helping the nurses with the injured, whilst keeping a wary eye on the Gym doors.

"Seriously, where is Ash? That idiot should've been here ages ago!" Lily moaned. "He must've got caught up with the Rockets." Daisy muttered. "I hope he's out there kicking arse then." Violet smiled maliciously. Misty remained quiet. She finished healing the burns of her patient, a girl who looked about eleven years old. After wrapping the girls arm in a bandage, she patted it softly. "There. It's all over now." She murmured. The girl smiled at her, murmured her thanks, and ran to where her mother was being treated for similar wounds. Misty slowly stood up, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

_He's out there, fighting. He'd better come back._

Lost in her thoughts, she wandered over to the main hall of the gym, where the swimming pool was. Slipping off her trainers and socks, she sat at the edge of the pool, her feet swaying gently in its deep blue waters. The water reflected her tired, cerulean eyes. Her mind brought back the time her and Ash had spent in the pool, messing around. The same feeling of passion, excitement, and arousal were brought back instantly, which only made her miss him all the more. She kicked out angrily at the water. "Why couldn't I have gone with him!?"

The quick burst of anger subsided, as she realised that if she had gone with him, she would've left her sisters behind and the gym would've been even more vulnerable now. The thought cheered her up slightly, but it still didn't extinguish her emotions. She missed Ash. Badly.  
She got up and walked back towards the front of the gym, determined to help as many people as she could. She knew that Ash would be doing the same.

"Pika Pi!" The little electric mouse pointed ahead. The city was coming into view. The sky was getting dark, highlighted ruby red by the fires around the city. Ash could hear people screaming, woman crying and the cries of Pokémon around the city. "It sounds awful..." May murmured. She had her arm around Ash's shoulder, limping alongside him. She turned to look at him, her tired eyes wandered across his face. His eyes were covered by shadows, partly obscuring his eyes. "Ash?" She whispered to him, afraid that he was angry at something. He slowly lifted his gaze to stare at the city. "This is the second time...they've tried to destroy my home..." He whispered, his voice cold. "I'm not letting them walk away this time."

May nodded softly. "We're almost there now. We'll meet up with Misty at the gym, and then we can go after the Rockets." Ash grunted in agreement. "We need to pick up the pace. I hope the others are doing okay." The two trainers were close to the entrance of the city now, they could see the main road and the Cerulean Police Force station. Several trainers were locked in a ferocious fight outside the station. A squad of Arcanines were up against a team of Mightyenas, the Pokémon fiercely battling it out with fire, claws and teeth. The trainers themselves were fighting amongst each other, flipping each other over, using techniques that would probably fit in a kung-fu movie.

"The Rockets are fighting the Police." May sounded panicked, her arm around Ash's shoulder tightening. "And it looks like the Rockets are winning." Ash growled. With his free hand, he pulled off two of the Poké balls on his belt. He threw them in front of him, the balls erupting in flashes of white light. Charizard and Pidgeot stood before him, waiting for their command. "Attack the Rockets up ahead." Ash pointed. "Be careful of the guys in blue, they're friendly." The two Pokémon cried in acknowledgement and flew towards the fight. Ash looked at May. "It looks like we're gonna have to run from here on, you up for it?" May shook her head sadly. "It puts too much stress on the wound, I don't want it to open up again." She bit her lip, worried. Ash just nodded at her. "Alright, you climb on to my back, I'll piggyback you to the gym."

She didn't really fancy a piggyback. She felt helpless enough as it was. She wrapped her other arm around Ash's chest, jumping slightly so that he could catch her legs. She blushed slightly when she felt his hands touching her bare legs wrapped around his waist. "Okay, let's go." Ash began to jog lightly, making sure that May was comfortable. The two trainers watched Charizard and Pidgeot in the battle in front of them. The Rockets were beginning to retreat, several of them lay unconscious on the pebbled road of the city. "Well done you two!" Ash yelled at his Pokémon. "Keep up the good work!"

After a minute, the Rockets had begun to run away, the Cerulean Police and the Arcanines following them. Charizard and Pidgeot returned back to Ash. "Well done guys." He smiled at them. "Now lets get to the gym."

…

The doors buckled, dents appearing at random places. The explosions on the other side were getting louder. The girls inside the gym were screaming. "Misty!! Where the hell is he!?" Violet was screaming. "I don't know!!" She screamed back. All she could feel was terror. Ash hadn't come, the gym doors were about to fly off the walls, and everyone was screaming. She put her hands over her ears, trying to block out the terrible noise. Where was Ash?

She kept thinking something terrible had happened to him. Horrible images of Ash, lying in a pool of his own blood kept surfacing to her mind. She shook her head violently.

_No way... he'll survive..._

_He'll come back...he said that he would..._

She was begging with her own mind, trying to put herself at ease, that he was coming back to her. Tears were streaming down her face. Her fists were shaking. Daisy and Lily crouched next to her, trying to calm her down. Throughout the whole gym, they seemed to be the only two people not screaming or bawling for help. "Misty, he's coming back." Daisy tried to soothe her. "Yeah, he's gonna be fine." Lily didn't exactly sound convinced, but it helped soothe Misty's mind.

Another loud explosion rocked the gym. Misty barely even noticed, her mind focused on seeing Ash again. After the explosion, everything had gone quiet. The pounding on the doors had stopped. There was no more screaming. Nothing.

A loud and terrifying roar erupted outside the gym. To the others in the gym, it was horrifying. But Misty recognized it. It was the cry of the fire breathing dragon, Charizard. "No way..." Misty stood up slowly. "Charizard?" She murmured. The roar erupted again, followed by a series of explosions. It was definitely Charizard. She had heard that roar enough times in battle with Ash.

She ran to the Security room, trying to turn on the cameras outside the gym. Seven out of the twelve cameras outside came up as static on the monitors. She chewed her lip. That was going to cost a bit to repair. She flicked over to cameras four, seven and twelve, the ones in front of the gym. An orange skinned, fire breathing Pokémon was outside, just like she had thought. It was ripping through a small force of Rockets and their Pokémon. She panned the camera around, slowly looking for Ash. Violet, Daisy and Lily had followed her into the Security room. "Ugh, they destroyed a couple of the cameras." Lily groaned. "Count yourself lucky it wasn't anything more serious." Daisy's eyes were searching across the monitors. She suddenly pointed at camera seven. "Who's that?"

A figure was walking towards the back of the gym, holding another figure on its back. It looked like it was stumbling, but it was hard to make it out clearly, the camera was a bit fuzzy from the attack. "Misty, go round to the back of the gym and see who it is. It might be Ash." Daisy murmured. "She's already gone Daisy." Violet shook her head slowly.

Misty had run the moment she had seen the figure on the screen. She was sure it was him. Running down a corridor, she realised she was running quicker than she had ever run in her entire life. The emergency fire exit at the back of the gym quickly came into view. She pushed down on the handles to open it, nudging it open. Bright sunlight flooded into the room, as Misty shielded her eyes. "Hey." His voice sounded shaky, but it was definitely him.

She almost cried with relief. Tears began forming at the corner of her eyes. "You're back." She smiled, trying to hold in her emotions. She didn't want to break down in front of him. "I am back." He smiled, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. "I'm home."

…

Ash suddenly realised he still had May on his back. She had fallen asleep on the way to the gym. "Look who I found hanging around Cerulean forest." He gently crouched down and lifted May off his back. He held her in her arms, gently supporting her head with his forearm. "May..." Misty whispered. Her eyes traced her body, focusing on the gash on May's face. She gasped when she saw the wound on her waist. "What happened?" She nodded to the blood-stained bandages. "Team Rocket." Ash growled. "They attacked her in the forest. Right before the attack on the city."

_She's lucky to be alive..._

"We need to get her to somewhere she'll be safe." Misty tapped him on the shoulder. "Follow me, there's a few nurses inside the gym already, we'll get them to look at her wounds in the Medical bay." They stood up, Ash following Misty with May in his arms. "The gym looked pretty beat up when I got here." Ash recalled the blackened gym doors, the walls lined with cracks and craters. "You have no idea." Misty shook her head. "All we could hear from the inside was explosions, and endless pounding, and the cries of scary Pokémon." She shivered at the memory. "But then it suddenly all went quiet. I guess that's when you turned up." She pushed open the door to the Medical bay. There were a few other people inside. A couple of Nurses from the Pokémon Center and a few injured patients. Misty found a space at the end of the room, laying May onto a small bed. The room itself was like the rest of the gym, with the walls slightly blue and shimmering. The bed looked like one you would find in a bedroom, not like the medical beds in the Pokémon Centers.

Ash found two chairs and placed them next to the bed. Misty sat down, her eyes drawn to the wound on May's waist. "You patched her up well." She said quietly. "She was bleeding pretty badly. I used whatever I had in my bag, a couple of bandages, disinfectant, a potion..." Ash trailed off. He looked up at Misty. Her eyes were still a little red from crying. He put an arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry." He murmured. Misty looked up at him, startled. "What for?"

"For not being here when you needed me." He looked down at her, with guilt in his eyes. Misty leaned into his chest. "How could you have known this would've happened? Nobody saw this coming. It's just Team Rocket being Team Rocket." Ash sighed. "True." He looked over May's sleeping form. Her chest rose and fell softly. A nurse walked over to them. "Okay Misty, we'll take care of her for now." Misty nodded and turned to Ash. "We'll leave May here. She'll be safe in the gym, for now." Ash nodded and stood up. "Okay. Lets go kick the Rockets out of our home."

…

A gust of wind blew into his face, rippling through his hair. His eyes were focused on the burning city beneath him, stinging from the smoke. "Okay Pidgeot, to the gym. We need to contact Misty, and Ash if he's there." Gary Oak pointed to the gym, which was smoking a little bit. His Pidgeot cried in acknowledgement, changing its course towards the gym. The gym came closer, he could see how badly the gym had been affected. The sign was hanging limply, the mascot had all but disappeared. Craters lined the door, it looked as though a couple of Rhyhorn had been pummelling it.

Pidgeot began to glide towards the gym, making a slow descent to the front of the gym. It landed softly, flapping its wings. "Well done, Pidgeot." Gary jumped off its back and began to walk to the gym doors. "Hello!" He waved to one of the cameras that wasn't smoking. "It's me, Gary! Is Ash or Misty in there?"

A voice blared from a hidden microphone. "Gary? What are you doing here?" He could faintly recognise Misty's sister, Daisy on the other end. "My grandfather wanted me to provide backup to you guys. Apparently you're in trouble." He smirked. "No shit, genius. Did you see the city as you flew in?" Lily had taken the microphone. The doors began to slowly open. Gary chuckled softly. "You don't change much. You're getting as bad as Misty."

A quiet snicker was heard through the hidden speaker. "Who do you prefer, me or her?" Lily sounded curious. Gary thought about it for a moment. "I dunno. You're sisters after all... can't I have you both?" He winced as the girls began yelling through the speakers. "You lecherous little...!" He strode through the now open metal doors. "Lecherous little...?" Gary continued to talk to the invisible speaker somewhere above his head. "Ugh, just get in here Gary. I'm gonna tell Misty what you said later, then she can deal with you herself." Lily shook her head exasperatedly.

Gary winced again. The thought of Misty going crazy at him already felt painful. "Alright, alright. I'm coming." He shook his head. "Girls..."

He knew his way around the Cerulean City gym, having visited Ash with Misty here a couple of times. He walked over to the Security room, knocking on the door a couple of times. "Is it safe to come in?" He grinned. "Gary! Get your pansy ass in here now!" Lily shouted behind the door. "I dunno, it doesn't sound safe to me." He teased playfully. The door flung open. Lily stood there, her hands on her hips, her temple throbbing. "Gary..." The growling in her voice should have warned him, but he continued to tease her. "Have I told you that you look beautiful when you're pissed?"

Lily grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dragging him inside. "I'm gonna drown you when this is all over." Daisy and Violet both sighed. This always seemed to happen when Gary visited. "Okay, Misty and Ash should be here in a sec." Daisy began. "The Rockets invaded the city about three hours ago. It was a complete surprise, so nobody was prepared. They just flew in and started attacking indiscriminately."

Gary nodded, rubbing his neck. "A surprise attack. They sure like to sneak up on their opponents. This is how it was like with Fuchsia and Lavender." Daisy looked at him. " So all of Team Rockets attacks so far have been surprise attacks?" Gary nodded. "They sneak up on a city, building up a large force outside of the city. Then, at a predetermined time, they invade the city, and nobody can stop them, as nobody is prepared." Everyone in the room went silent. Gary shook his head. "It's not just the cities in Kanto either, suffering attacks like this." The girl's eyes opened wide. "You mean..." Violet shuddered as she spoke. "Hoenn, Johto, Sinnoh... even the Sevii and Orange Islands aren't safe." Gary looked apprehensively at the three girls. "And it's not just Team Rocket either, although they're leading the attacks. Team Galactic, Team Magma and Team Aqua are also involved." The atmosphere in the room suddenly chilled. Nobody knew what to say. An impeding sense of doom was filling the room. Gary cleared his throat. "The four criminal organizations have teamed up, and are now fighting together in an attempt to dominate the world. The Rockets are leading the show, and for now, they're succeeding.

"How do you know all of this?" Daisy finally spoke up after a period of silence. Gary smiled weakly. "Well, you'll probably never believe me. But I'll tell you anyway. A couple of weeks ago, the Elite Four and the Champion were warned of something like this happening. A letter was sent, sealed with blood. The letter explained of the whole situation, and of how time is running out. It was a kind of a request for the Elite four to get off their asses and do something about the Teams." Gary paused for a moment, clearing his throat again. "The letter was signed with a 'G' and an 'R'. The Elite Four had no idea who G and R were supposed to be. So they sent a copy of the letter to the Professors of each region. Including Gramps back in Pallet."

"He read the letter, and he had the same problems, he couldn't figure out who had sent the letter either. He did all the techno-geek stuff scientists do and still couldn't figure it out. He'd pretty much almost given up hope of figuring it out, especially after the other Professors had told him the same thing. But then, a month after he had got his copy of the letter, he was visited by the sender of the letter." The girls looked up in surprise. "Who as it?" Violet asked quietly. Gary had a look of seriousness etched in every line of his face. "A person who was thought by many to have died. The former leader of Team Rocket and ex-leader of the Viridian City Gym. The man who had infiltrated Silph Co. and threatened the world. The same guy who created Mewtwo and the same person who Ash defeated five years ago."

All three girls gasped in surprise. Daisy shook her head. "There's just no way... how can he be alive after all this time?" Gary stood awkwardly, trying not to look at the girls. "So he's come back..." Lily whispered. "He was bent on destroying the world..." The girls stood in a shocked silence. The four of them looked at each other, not quite believing what was going on. "Giovanni has returned." Violet murmured. "And is trying to stop his old organization from destroying the world..." She shook her head. "I'm not sure if I want to believe it. Giovanni, a madman turned martyr? There's just too much irony in this to make any sense."

Gary chuckled slightly. "You're right. Me and Gramps were sceptical too. But it's true. I was there when Giovanni was chatting about it over tea and biscuits with Gramps." His eyes suddenly darkened. "He's also agreed to help us, as he knows his old organization better then the rest of us." Daisy shook her head again. "Well, I guess that's some good news." Her eyes suddenly brightened. "So if 'G' was for Giovanni, who's the 'R' for?"

Gary shook his head. "I don't know. He didn't say. Hopefully it's somebody else trying to help us. I'll ask Giovanni if I can talk with him." The three girls went silent. "Well, I'm not gonna be the one to tell Ash and Misty." Violet laughed feebly. "I don't think any of us want to." Lily murmured. The four of them stood in silence, musing on the information they had just absorbed. "I think I'll be the one to tell them." Gary spoke up. "And then, after they understand the situation, we can think up a strategy for eliminating the Rockets out of Cerulean." The three girls nodded in agreement. "Good luck with that." Lily smirked.

He smirked back. "Thanks. Now after all of that horrible business, I think it's time we discussed our future together, Lily."  


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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It took some work, figuring it out. And there wasn't any romance or anything T_T  
But don't worry, Ash and Misty will be doing something together next chapter, i guarantee ^^

Please review, it's for a good cause!!


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